Vessel
Cameroon
Description
Subject Matter:
Throughout the Grassfields region of Cameroon, material culture acted as a signifier of a person’s place within the social hierarchy that many kingdoms in this area share. This included pottery as well. Many ceramic containers or vessels were—and continue to be—produced in Bamessing and Babessi. With large, local clay deposits, Bamessing and Babessi gained a reputation for their strong and elaborate pottery. Women created these containers, which were prized all over the Grassfields region by elites. Vessels with more decoration conferred more prestige on their owner, as did bowls with raised legs. This vessel may have been used as a pitcher pour palm wine or water. The snake motif may refer to royalty, as the snake is associated with the ruler (or fon) in some Grassfields kingdoms.
References Cited:
Forni, Silvia. 2007. "Containers of Life: Pottery and Social Relations in the Grassfields (Cameroon)."African Arts 40.1: 42-53.
Gebauer, Paul. 1979. Art of Cameroon. Portland, Or.: Portland Art Association.
Homberger, L. 2008. Cameroon: Art and Kings. Zürich: Museum Rietberg.
Northern, Tamara. 1984. The Art of Cameroon. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution.
Page, Donna. 2007. A Cameroon World: Art and Artifacts from the Caroline and Marshall Mount Collection. New York: QCC Art Gallery Press.
Physical Description:
Round vessel with a small round base and a columnar spout. The top edge of the spout is divided into two pointed sections. A curved handle runs from the top of the spout to the neck of the vessel. The neck of the vessel is decorated with incised horizontal lines while the body of the vessel is decorated with an undulating snake and two adjoined oval shapes, each decorated with a crosshatch pattern.
Usage Rights:
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