Minneapolis Institute of Art

Vessel

Kurumba artist

Date

mid 20th century

Medium

Clay

Culture

Kurumba

Department

Arts of Global Africa

Institution

Minneapolis Institute of Art

Large jars like this one, inherited via the chiefly female lineage, signaled the owner’s privileged status. Designed to preserve selected seeds, they are sometimes called “granaries, ” yet they could also store a woman’s valuables, particularly textiles. The raised patterns on the surface, unique to each vessel and representing the abdominal scarifications worn by Kurumba women, highlight the personal connection between the owner, the vessel, and its contents. Burkina Faso, Africa

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