Gourd-Shaped Ceramic Vessel

Pottery has been a key component of the material culture of Cameroon’s Grassfields region for centuries. In the this fertile, highland region with its many kingdoms and shifting alliances, ceramic production took on an outsized role in local economies through trade and market competition via distinct styles and craftsmanship. Among the rarer techniques was the skeuomorphic design — pottery made in the form of objects made from another material. This vessel is a classic example of a skeuomorph in that it imitates the form and surface detail of a calabash jug. Among the many varieties of calabashes commonly grown and utilized in the Grassfields for storage, food and beverage services are bottle gourds, characterized by their long necks and bulbous bodies. Such calabashes are cultivated, harvested and processed to create containers for brewing and serving palm wine in both ritual and casual settings. This is an exceptionally beautifully crafted example of this all too rare phenomenon. Whether offered as a gift or commercial fare, this vessel would have impressed, as its maker intended, as entertaining, visual pun.

7″

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