Jar

Object Details

Chewa artist

Label Text

This large ovoid vessel was handbuilt by a Chewa woman potter and fired at a low temperature. She decorated it by splashing a vegetable decoction on the body immediately after firing, resulting in an aesthetically vibrant surface. The dark spots on the surface are caused by a reduced oxygen atmosphere in the kiln during firing. Although created accidentally, they add to the pot's aesthetic effectiveness.

These vessels are typical of pottery forms found throughout Africa that function as containers for foodstuffs. Chewa women keep vessels of this type near the cooking area. They use them to store locally brewed maize beer, kuchasu, which is consumed before traditional ceremonies of the Gule Wamkulu (Great Dance) performed at funerals and initiations.

Description

Ovoid shaped vessel with rim made of fired clay. Cream colored, brownish colored pigment applied vertically top to bottom around the entire pot.

Provenance

Laurel Birch de Aguilar [Faulkner], collected in Lilongwe, Malawi, ca. 1985-1986

Affrica Gallery, Washington, D.C., 1986 to 1987

Published References

Mellor, S. 2007. From Delicious to Not Quite Right: Subtleties in Discerning the Authenticity of African Art. Objects Specialty Group Postprints, Volume 14 CD. Washington, DC: American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works. p.13.

National Museum of African Art. 1999. Selected Works from the Collection of the National Museum of African Art. Washington, D.C.: National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, p. 172, no. 127.

Content Statement

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Credit Line

Museum purchase

ca. 1985

Object number

87-2-1

Restrictions & Rights

Usage conditions apply

Type

Ceramics

Medium

Ceramic, resin

Dimensions

W x D: 63.5 x 63.5 cm (25 x 25 in.)

Geography

Lilongwe region, Malawi

See more items in

National Museum of African Art Collection

National Museum of African Art

Topic

male

Record ID

nmafa_87-2-1

Metadata Usage (text)

Usage conditions apply

GUID (Link to Original Record)

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ys7fe25a55e-6f1a-4ec4-9b61-59f3b3cd8979