Nupe Gourd Water Vessel

Inspired by the natural world, Nupe ceramicists fired this water vessel in the shape of a gourd. The vessel's varied surface textures and colors come from its utilitarian design. The dimpling and geometric markings were engraved to give the drinker a better grip, creating the handworn texture and off-colored streaks. Meanwhile, the rounded bottom was designed to rest on a half-buried vessel support inside of a Nupe house. Vessels were frequently stacked. The top rim of this vessel shows evidence of having been used in this way, with subtle wear around the inside of the top rim.