Millet beer vessel
Clay vessels are produced by an artisanal class of Senufo women whose skills are relayed from mother to daughter. This emphasis on generational continuity is further evidenced in the creative process, during which a new vessel is formed over the base of an older version. Designed to store the staple of fermented millet beer, this vessel may have been the property of a diviner. The serpent, turtle, and lizard figures depicted in relief around the shoulder are powerful intermediaries between the human and spirit realms.
Artwork Details
- Title: Millet beer vessel
- Artist: Senufo artist
- Date: Late 20th century
- Geography: Côte d'Ivoire, northern Côte d'Ivoire
- Culture: Senufo peoples
- Medium: Terracotta
- Dimensions: H. 19 1/2 x Diam. 14 in. (49.5 x 35.6 cm)
- Classification: Ceramics-Containers
- Credit Line: Gift of Jerome Vogel, 2000
- Object Number: 2000.617.2
- Curatorial Department: The Michael C. Rockefeller Wing
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Senufo artist
19th–mid-20th century
Senufo artist
late 19th–early 20th century
Senufo artist
late 19th–mid-20th century
Senufo artist
late 19th–mid-20th century
Senufo artist
19th–mid-20th century
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