Container for Water or Beer (Inongo)

The Gwembe Tonga live to the east of the Shona and share with them similar pottery techniques. Particularly gifted Gwembe Tonga potters are specialists who attribute their talents to selection by an equally skilled ancestor. Like many in Africa, they focus attention on making water containers, which must be thin walled and symmetrical if they are to be borne atop the head while filled with several gallons of water. Because it is among the most public of pots, a water or beer container’s appearance is closely scrutinized. This vessel is embellished with bold zigzag bands. The design was rendered with quick lines that skip rhythmically along the clay, emphasizing its muscular proportions.