Vase c. 20th century

This vase was made by the Mangbetu people, though we don't know exactly when. What strikes me is the way the textures build on one another. Look at how the wavy lines swell around the body, like a landscape, almost topographical. The artist doesn't conceal the process of creation, but rather, uses the act of carving to create a dynamic interplay of light and shadow, drawing your eye over the surface. Above these waves, there is a band of small marks like braided rope, leading to the concentric rings around the opening. The precision! It reminds me of the detailed line work of someone like Alfred Jenson; there's a similar sense of obsessive energy. The vase asks us to consider beauty in the everyday, in the way that repeated marks can create a conversation. It's like a dance.