Dogon Ceramic Vessel, Mali

A round pot that holds up its end of the room.

Dogon potters of Mali, West Africa, made this vessel in terra cotta in the 20th century. Large, round-bellied jars are commonly used across West Africa for storing and carrying water and grain. A short flared collar sits on broad, rounded shoulders. A band of fine hatched impressions circles the belly between ridges. The clay is orange to rust, with chalky white bloom across the upper body where it has weathered, and a few light scuffs.

About 19 inches tall and 21 wide. Plant a tree in it, or let it be.