Djenne Ceramic Vessel, Mali

A round pot, patterned with the faint marks of a comb or cord.

This vessel is Djenne, from Mali, West Africa, and dates to the 12th to 17th century. It is terra cotta. Djenne pottery from the inland Niger Delta is generally varied, and many pots carry impressed or incised surface decoration. This one has a rounded body and a wide, flat rolled rim. A band of fine diagonal hatching circles the shoulder, and the clay is a soft buff with darker patches of wear. It is 5 inches high and 5.5 in diameter.

Modest on the outside and plenty to read up close.