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Ritual Vessel

A work made of terracotta.
CC0 Public Domain Designation

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  • A work made of terracotta.

Date:

12th /17th century

Artist:

Inland Niger Delta region, Mali
Northern Africa and the Sahel

About this artwork

Research suggests that the ancient potters of Mali’s Inland Niger Delta region were at least part-time specialists and were women, as are the potters in the region today. It is likely that they created wares for domestic and ritual use, including figural sculptures in clay. This cylindrical vessel was likely made for ritual use considering the close attention to decorative detail that it displays and the relative rarity of flat-bottomed containers from the region. Delicately incised lines complement the raised and inset rings at the vessel’s neck and waist.

Status

Currently Off View

Department

Arts of Africa

Culture

Inland Niger Delta

Title

Ritual Vessel

Place

Mali (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.

1101–1700

Medium

Terracotta

Dimensions

H.: 29.9 cm (11 3/4 in.)

Credit Line

Purchased with funds provided by Claire B. Zeisler

Reference Number

1980.187

IIIF Manifest  The International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) represents a set of open standards that enables rich access to digital media from libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural institutions around the world.

Learn more.

https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/60026/manifest.json

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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