Nupe Ceramic Storage Vessel

Diamonds and zigzags, all in step around a deep brown belly.

Nupe potters of Nigeria, West Africa, made this storage vessel in terra cotta in the 19th century. Vessels of this size were commonly kept for water, grain or other household stores. Beaded ridges set off a wide decorative zone of incised triangles and chevrons, drawn in light lines against the reddish clay. The smooth lower body swells outward before narrowing to a short flared foot. The tone is a burnished tobacco brown, with soft wear and small scuffs along the shoulder.

About 20 inches tall and 17 wide. Geometry with some age on it.