|
HOME :
African & Tribal Art :
African Pottery : Djenne Terracotta Pyriform Vase
|
 |
|
|
|
Djenne Terracotta Pyriform Vase - PF.5887
Origin: Mali
Circa: 12
th
Century AD
to 14
th
Century AD
Dimensions:
6.625" (16.8cm) high
x 4.5" (11.4cm) wide
Collection: African
Medium: Terracotta
$1,200.00
Location: United States
|
|
|
| Photo Gallery |
|
|
| 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, a prospering
city strategically located at the confluence of the
rivers Niger and Bani, reaped the benefits of
these two waterways. An accessible and plentiful
gift of the rivers was 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 pyriform body,
slender neck, and small curved mouth we
experience 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. 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 just beginning to discern.
- (PF.5887)
|
| |
|
