Vase c. 20th century

Curator: This earthenware vessel, simply titled "Vase," likely dates from the 20th century, and our curators are still working to pinpoint the cultural origins for Barambo. What strikes you when you first see it? Editor: Immediately, it's the earthy darkness of it, the sheer weight and solidity the maker coaxed out of clay. It has such presence! You imagine filling it with water, perhaps carrying it on your head... there's something deeply tactile about its carved surfaces too. Curator: Indeed! You get a sense of the hand at work here. If you look closely, you’ll see the decoration— geometric motifs, rows of half circles and bands etched into the dark clay body of the ceramic piece, its earthy palette reminiscent of volcanic rock. This reminds us that creating something from Earth connects us to the basic components of life and reflects human needs of survival and decoration. Editor: And those shapes! Notice how each band and pattern seems deliberately applied and has a purpose. One is struck by its geometry, as if each impression made into the ceramic has intentionality, in repetition and scale. Even the imperfections, and there are a few in the uniformity, feels deliberate, honest to the raw clay material it stems from and the conditions under which it would have been created and fired. Curator: Precisely, it is this hand crafted texture and visual language of pattern and dark hues which give this particular "Vase" a character which supersedes mere functionality and turns it into sculpture. The question I would pose to any who appreciate art from marginalized populations is not to immediately turn toward its utilitarian nature but instead see a depth of material understanding and visual intent as any maker of Western art would hold as their intention. Editor: So, for all its unpretentious label and functionality, this "Vase" reveals a deeper conversation of utility and vision; from clay, purpose, from skill, vision, as material realities merge through process and form. I’ve appreciated our chance to think about where form meets resource! Curator: Me too, it is this intersection of life and beauty from an otherwise basic human requirement that has struck me about it today.