Vessel c. 20th century

This vessel, made by an artist from Bamileke, sits in the Minneapolis Institute of Art like a quiet witness to time. I can almost see the hands that shaped it, the slow, deliberate process of coiling and smoothing the clay. Imagine the artist's focus, the feel of the cool earth between their fingers, coaxing this form into being. The dark color and smooth surface are punctuated by an etched frieze. It’s like a conversation, an exchange of ideas whispered across generations. The vessel seems to breathe with the same rhythm as the artist's hands that shaped it. I wonder what stories it could tell, what rituals it has witnessed. Like all art, this vessel is a testament to the human impulse to create, to leave a mark, to connect with something larger than ourselves. And that impulse, that conversation, continues today.