Altar Vessel

Altar vessel. Yoruba pottery is normally made by women. Pots are molded by hand; the bodies are coiled on molded bases. Corn cobs are rolled over the surface for consolidation, and then smoothed by hand. They are then open fired with grass and brushwood for less than 2 hours (low-fired).

Female figures on pot represent worshippers of the river goddess, Oshun. Oshun is the name of one of the largest rivers in the Yoruba area, and the goddess Oshun is worshipped with great ceremony, and she is known as the goddess of great beauty.

Pot with decoration in high relief consisting of six female figures arranged around the upper portion of the pot, four of which are carrying small auxiliary pots on their heads. These pots are evenly spaced around the rim of the main pot. They alternate with panels containing a handle and a snake-like motif. The snakes run down from the rim and terminate at a horizontal flange which separates the decoration from the lower portion of the pot. Two remaining females are placed in panels on opposite sides of the pot. Both high relief and pat decorated with incised lines and marks.