Terracotta Jar – Bariba – Benin – Schädler certificate

Wonderfull terracotta jar from the Bariba people of Benin. Heavy piece, total weight: 8000 gram! Contains traces of wear and tear due to tribal use.

This piece of a pottery vessel, embellished with high relief figures, was made by women of the ethnic group of the Bariba (or Baatonu) in the northern provinces of Benin. The Bariba potters passed their trade from mother to daughter. They didn’t make their vessels on a pottery wheel but kneaded them by hand. The raw material they used was river clay. Various pieces of pottery were used in ceremonies by spirit mediums. The disc shape mouth of the pot was used as a fire basin. The light was produced with the help of balls of cotton or wool, soaked in shea butter and lit with fire. Yoruba influence is reflected in the figural pottery of the Bariba.

The Baatonu (Bariba) homeland lies to the northwest of Oye, the once powerful Yoruba empire, and the two regions share important economic and cultural ties. Today Baatombu and Yoruba often live side-by-side, and potters from the two groups may work in close proximity to each other, making pots that look very similar. The Baatonu and Oyo Yoruba also share similar pottery techniques, using a convex mold to form the base of a pot and then completing it with coils.

This vessel has the egg-shaped form that is typical of Baatombu jars, and its wishbonelike motif is reminiscent of a tattoo worn by Baatonu women and symbolic of courage.. Such vessels are presented filled with shea butter, a household staple used in food preparation, as lantern oil, for skin care, and for medicine. Once empty the treasured container could be used to store grain or valuables.

Provenance: Manfred Schäfer collection, ex- gallery owner from Ulm, Germany. Including certificate of Karl-Ferdinand Schädler.