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Bottle

A work made of terracotta.

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  • A work made of terracotta.

Date:

Early/mid–20th century

Artist:

Teke
Republic of the Congo
Central Africa

About this artwork

Often highly inventive in their forms, small bottles are made by potters throughout Central Africa for holding liquids such as beer, oil, water, or palm wine. Such pieces are often treasured personal possessions and are therefore appropriate for use in honoring ancestors, whether through the pouring of libations on special occasions or by placing them on shrines or graves. This exquisite example is believed to date to the late nineteenth or early twentieth century.
This bottle comes from the Teke dominated region north of the mouth of the Congo River in what is today the Republic of the Congo. Bottles with similarly squat bodies and funnel shaped necks are found among the Teke as well as among such Kongo-speaking neighbors as the Kunyi. The flat shoulder of this work is an unusual feature that gives it a strongly geometric silhouette. Just below the shoulder, the body was embellished with several bands of roulette pattern over which the potter quickly inscribed a zigzag line above and a scalloped line below. Teke potters usually use a mold to build the lower part of a vessel and sometimes make closed forms such as bottles by joining two such pieces together; they then add coils to create the neck.

Status

Currently Off View

Department

Arts of Africa

Culture

Teke

Title

Bottle

Place

Republic of the Congo (Object made in)

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

Made 1900–1950

Medium

Terracotta

Dimensions

29.9 × 21.6 cm (11 3/4 × 8 1/2 in.)

Credit Line

Gift of Keith Achepohl

Reference Number

2005.253

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

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