Storage Container

The Nupe make pottery in a region that is rich in interrelated ceramic traditions. This may in part explain the great diversity of forms, but it also makes it difficult at times to distinguish the origins of a piece based solely on its style. This storage container has a wide, round base and a long, tapered upper body that narrows slightly to a flared mouth. It is designed to hang suspended from the ceiling by a cord, which is passed through the arcade of angled openings located just above its widest point. While the vessel’s form and incised embellishment are in some respects reminiscent of Nupe work, it probably comes from a neighboring region between the Niger and Benue rivers. The combed bands of incising that wrap around the upper body combine tightly spaced straight and wavy lines and occasional zigzags in a lively pattern. Over these, the potter drew a series of large graphic motifs suggestive of stick figures. [See also 2005.244].