Ritual Container

The obvious care taken in the shaping and embellishment of this container leaves no doubt that its significance was beyond the ordinary. The lower tier is beautifully rounded, smoothly burnished, and colored with a red slip–associated by the Mafa with supernatural power and protection–that is marked by a fire cloud at bottom. The upper tier and its three slightly bowed legs are covered to the flared lip with rows of raised pellets, while larger spikes mark the point of transition from one tier to the other. Among the Mafa, Sirak, and related peoples, these embellishments have symbolic significance. Appliquéd pellets on pottery may be associated with threshed millet grains, millet being the primary staple of the region, and more broadly with spiritual protection. Likewise, spikes are a symbol of abundance and success through supernatural means.