This striking ceramic vase was created by skillful
artisans in the 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 Tanger who spent a year
in Mali, writes that he was overcome with
amazement over the wealth of the Mansa Musa
court of Mali, whose grandeur at the time was
equal only to that of the Mongul empire. Djenne,
one of the prospering cities at that time, also
reaped the bounty of the rivers Nile and Bani,
since 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
the Djenne artistry in this handsome vase. With
its flat base, graceful curving body, beautiful
surface patterning and wide everted rim, we
experience a vase whose fine lines and
proportions truly please the eye. A sensory
delight, this lovely vase connects us in a most
spirited manner with a civilization whose wealth
and splendor at one time were quite legendary.
- (PF.2447)
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