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Jar

A work made of terracotta.

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  • A work made of terracotta.

Date:

Early/mid–20th century

Artist:

Mangbetu
Uele region, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Central Africa

About this artwork

From the early 1900s, decorative containers for storing beer, oil, water, and wine have served as luxury items for Mangbetu rulers and the elite while also increasingly being sold to European travelers. The spherical base of this jar is ingeniously joined to the neck by four arching tubes. Mangbetu potters, who were typically female, favored indented and incised designs like the one displayed here: circular motifs combined with patterns were created by pushing a roulette (a toothed disk) across the surface.

Status

On View, Gallery 137

Department

Arts of Africa

Culture

Mangbetu

Title

Jar

Place

Democratic 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

26.7 × 17.8 cm (10 1/2 × 7 in.)

Credit Line

Gift of Keith Achepohl

Reference Number

2005.254

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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