Water Pot
2009 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This earthenware water pot is of a traditional type made by women potters at Gwari villages in central Nigeria. These pots are made by first pulling, and then coiling the clay, the shape being refined using gourd and metal scrapers. Surface decoration is impressed with wooden or string roulettes and plant cobs, or incised using bamboo blades or stiff grass. The firing of the wares takes place communally in large, open-fire ‘clamps’ in which the pots are piled on sticks and covered with grasses. The starch infilling of the incised decoration is carried out in order to indicate that a pot sent to market is new and unused.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Earthenware, pulled and coiled, with incised and rouletted decoration infilled with starch |
| Brief description | Water pot, earthenware, made by Zuyari Gwi, Nigeria, 2009. |
| Physical description | Earthenware water pot of rounded form. Handbuilt by pulling and coiling, and burnished. Incised and rouletted decoration in traditional Gwari style. Clamp fired. The pattern has been infilled with starch. |
| Dimensions |
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| Marks and inscriptions | Unmarked |
| Gallery label | 17–23 Tools and earthenware pot
(23) Nigeria, Gwi, 2009, made by Zuyari Gwi, hand-built, incised and rouletted pattern filled with starch after firing
These traditional tools were used by the potter Zuyari Gwi: (17) gourd scraper to ‘belly-out’ the pot from the inside while building; (18) metal scraper to remove excess clay; (19) stones for burnishing; (20) wooden blades; (21) base upon which the pot was built; (22) cobs and plant material used as roulettes for rolled decoration.
Museum nos. C.65:1 to 12, 15-2008; C.156-2009, presented on behalf of Joe Williamson(18/09/2009) |
| Credit line | Presented on behalf of Joe Williamson |
| Object history | The pot was sourced for the Museum by Michael O'Brien, who much admires the traditional Gwari wares made by Zuyari. |
| Summary | This earthenware water pot is of a traditional type made by women potters at Gwari villages in central Nigeria. These pots are made by first pulling, and then coiling the clay, the shape being refined using gourd and metal scrapers. Surface decoration is impressed with wooden or string roulettes and plant cobs, or incised using bamboo blades or stiff grass. The firing of the wares takes place communally in large, open-fire ‘clamps’ in which the pots are piled on sticks and covered with grasses. The starch infilling of the incised decoration is carried out in order to indicate that a pot sent to market is new and unused. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | C.156-2009 |
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| Record created | July 19, 2010 |
| Record URL |
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