Ceramic pot with lizards or snakes
Cameroon; Bamum
Description
Subject Matter:
This vessel was likely created by a woman potter of the Bamum community in the Cameroon grasslands of West Africa. With its large fluted opening and spherical base, it may have been intended to be used as a water-carrier. The potter built the vessel by hand by layering coils of clay. It was then molded with her hands and burnished by rubbing the surface of the vessel with a smooth stone, making it smooth and shiny and ensuring that it would be water-tight. The stippled texture on its lower register—created with a roulette tool—adds visual interest and also makes it less slippery to hold. Its top register is decorated with appliquéd clay, resulting in the raised shapes of lizards or water snakes interspersed with repeated ovals.
Physical Description:
Spherical, dark brown vessel with a wide fluted lip. The top register is decorated using appliqué in the shape of long-tailed lizard-like figures interspersed with raised ovals. The bottom half is decorated with a textured roulette pattern.
Usage Rights:
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