221038 - Extremely rare Terracotta African Tutsi pot with lid - Rwanda

€650.00

Old African Terracotta pot from the Tutsi, Rwanda

Possibly made by a Twa potter.

Beautiful Tutsi pot from Rwanda. The character is anthropomorphic. The style is interesting. Please also note the tones of the coloured pigments. The pottery is in very good condition, without crack. Around 1940.

Just your attention: I reserve the right to ship this item individually, because it is a very fragile item.

Pots were used in rural communities for carrying water, the mass storage of food and milk, cooking food, serving and drinking beer. Built for an entirely functional use the vessels were easily and cheaply made as long as clay was locally available. Sculpted vessels expressing surface design were vehicles for addressing the metaphysical needs of the community. They could be fashioned with representational spirit forms and manipulations, or incised with designs, scribbles and scouring.These pots were often kept in their own confined, custom built spaces where they were tended and consulted for ritualistic purposes. Some were deliberately broken during ritual ceremonies, while some have endured and been maintained for many generations.Currently, some traditions have been abandoned and the practice of making ritualistic vessels no longer exists in many communities.

Another exemplar of this rare type of vase can be seen in the collection of Barbier-Mueller in Geneva.