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Lidded Pot
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art. Free to download, adapt and use — no permission needed.
About this work
This large, beautifully shaped vessel was used for the serving of beer, an essential component of Zulu hospitality. Undecorated vessels were for private household use, and ornamented examples were reserved for guests. Zulu pottery is produced by women, and is typically thin-walled, with a burnished black surface. Decoration may be incised around the shoulder, as in this example, or may consist of raised bumps that resemble body scarification.
Cleveland Museum of Art’s own descriptionCredit lineLidded Pot, 1900s. Southern Africa, South Africa, Zulu, mid-20th century. Terracotta and plant fiber; diameter: 45.7 cm (18 in.); overall: 33 cm (13 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, John L. Severance Fund, 1999.13
