Djenne Terra Cotta Vessel

Plain brown pot with a chipped lip and one faint pinched feature.

This Djenne terra cotta vessel is Djenne, from Mali, West Africa. Terra cotta vessels are built by hand from coiled or modeled clay and fired at modest temperatures, which leaves a porous, earthy body in tones of red, brown or buff. Egg-shaped vessel with a wide mouth, smooth rounded sides and a small raised bump pressed on the upper wall. The surface is matte reddish-brown with mottled patches, and the rim is notched where a piece has broken away. It is 8.25 inches high and 5.75 in diameter.

Modest, round and quietly satisfied with itself.