Vessel

Large jars like this one, inherited via the chiefly female lineage, signaled the owner’s privileged status. Designed to preserve selected seeds, they are sometimes called “granaries, ” yet they could also store a woman’s valuables, particularly textiles. The raised patterns on the surface, unique to each vessel and representing the abdominal scarifications worn by Kurumba women, highlight the personal connection between the owner, the vessel, and its contents.