The Kabyles are a Berber people who live in Northern Algeria. For more than 200 years Kabyle women have made earthenware objects from locally-dug clay. Kabyle pottery was traditionally made for domestic purposes such as preparing and serving food, storing water and providing light, and for ritual occasions such as births and weddings. This large oil lamp was carried at wedding and New Year ceremonies. Today most Kabyle pottery is decorative and other materials such as plastic, metal and china are used to serve its original practical functions.

This oil lamp was purchased by the V&A in 1868 as part of a group of 51 Kabyle items. Its construction and design are typical. The clay was shaped by hand using the thumb and coiling methods. Before firing, the lamp was decorated with kaolin, coloured oxides and slips (liquid clay), usually in blocks of red and white overlaid by geometric designs applied in black. Pots not intended for use in cooking, like this one, also had a resin applied to give a glazed surface. This gave a yellow colour and ensured that the pot was watertight.