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HOME :
African & Tribal Art :
African Pottery : Djenne Terracotta Vessel
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Djenne Terracotta Vessel - PF.6239
Origin: Mali
Circa: 12
th
Century AD
to 14
th
Century AD
Dimensions:
14" (35.6cm) high
Collection: African Art
Medium: Terracotta
$4,000.00
Location: United States
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| Photo Gallery |
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| Description |
This beautiful ceramic vessel was created by a
skillful artisan in the modern-day Republic of
Mali. At the time of its creation the Empire of
West African Mali was at its zenith. The famous
chronicler Ibn Battuta, a Berber theologian from
Tangier who spent a year in Mali, writes that he
was overcome with amazement by the exorbitant
wealth of the Mansa Musa court of Mali, whose
grandeur at the time was equal only to that of
the Mongol Empire. Jenne-jeno, one of the
prospering cities at the time, also reaped the
bounty of the rivers Niger and Bani, as it was
strategically located at the confluence of these
two waterways. An accessible and plentiful gift
of the rivers was the ceramic grit, a material that
was worked by local artisans in a skillful and
sensitive fashion. The result of these efforts was
the creation of terracotta pottery that is truly
distinguished in the world of ceramic art. Here,
we see a striking example of Djenne artistry in
this handsome vase. With its bulging body, short
neck, and wide flaring mouth we find a vase
whose fine proportions truly please the eye. Our
tactile senses are also stimulated by the feel of
the vessel's smooth, highly burnished reddish-
brown surface. The lower half of the body and
the neck have also been textured with a series of
diagonal lines that appear as if the work was
rolled upon a reed mat while still wet. Truly a
sensory delight, this lovely vase connects us in a
most spirited manner with an African empire
whose wealth and splendor at one time were as
legendary as we are beginning to discern.
- (PF.6239)
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