Description
The potters in and around the town of Osogbo are known for their tall, cylindrical jars. This elaborately decorated vessel features a human face at the midpoint of its long neck, which suggests that it was made for a shrine dedicated to the goddess Osun (Mother of Life-Giving Waters), the namesake of the river near Osogbo. It likely held river stones and water.
Provenance
Unnamed owner, New York, N.Y., by 1996; sold to Douglas Dawson Gallery, Chicago, Ill., 1996; sold to Keith Achepohl, Iowa City, Iowa, 1996; given to the Art Institute, 2005.
Accession Number
185709
Medium
Terracotta
Dimensions
59.7 × 30.5 × 30.5 cm (23 1/2 × 12 × 12 in.)
Classification
vessel
Credit Line
Gift of Keith Achepohl