Curator

  • Art Institute Chicago
  • Harvard art museum
  • My Exhibition
A work made of terracotta.

Jar

Early/mid–20th century

Yoruba Ekiti region, Nigeria Coastal West Africa

Nigeria

Yoruba potters in the Ekiti region typically build a jar’s walls and rims from a hollowed-out lump of clay. After the completed jar has hardened, the potter inverts it and scrapes the outside of the base until it is evenly thin and smooth. The form of this elaborately decorated vessel echoes a type of domestic storage container with knobs on opposing sides that serve as handles.

Terracotta

Arts of Africa

Drinking and Dining