Tripod Vessel Possibly 900 - 1100

This humble tripod vessel was made in Teotihuacan from reddish-brown earthenware. The clay was likely dug from local riverbeds and mixed by hand, then coiled and smoothed to create its cylindrical form. You can see how the three supports were carefully attached, likely with a bit of wet clay acting as glue. The fingerprints of the maker might be visible on its surface if you look close enough. After it was formed, the vessel would have been fired in an open kiln, or perhaps simply in a large bonfire. The object's simplicity is deceptive. The potter who made this tripod vessel was working within a long and sophisticated tradition. The form itself speaks of communal meals and ritual practices, of the everyday life of Teotihuacan society. It is a testament to the power of basic materials transformed by human hands, blurring our conventional distinctions between art, craft, and the archaeological record.