Fante Ceramic Vessel, Ghana

A round pot, scratched like a field after rain.

Fante potters of Ghana, West Africa, made this vessel in terra cotta in the 20th century. Fired clay vessels in Ghana are commonly used for water, storage and ritual offerings. The body is wide and almost spherical, with a low shoulder and a flat rim. The surface is a mid brown, scored all over with short incised marks and small pits, and the color varies from honey to dark where the fire touched it. It is solid, plain and matte.

About eight and a half inches tall and ten and a half wide. A rounded shape to anchor a table.