Gur-speaking peoples, possibly Lobi
Burkina Faso
Northern Africa and the Sahel
Double Altar Vessel
INV-1896
Gur-speaking peoples, possibly Lobi
Burkina Faso
Northern Africa and the SahelEarly/mid–20th century
gurArts of Africaafrican Artlobivesselterracotta (sculpture)
Date
Early/mid–20th century
Medium
Terracotta
Dimensions
25.4 × 40.6 cm (10 × 16 in.); 25 × 39 × 15 cm (9 7/8 × 15 3/8 × 5 15/16 in.)
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Location
Chicago, IL
Credit
Gift of Keith Achepohl
The Lobi make double pots to aid in the treatment of ailing twins. The birth of twins is considered a blessing, and when they become ill it is diagnosed as a supernatural concern that must be addressed to the protective spirit of the father's family. The relatives commission a double pot, which is placed on the father's alar and contains a specially brewed medicine that is used to bathe the twins. According to Klaus Schneider, who has conducted an extensive study of Lobi pottery, double pots are always made with rounded bottoms and without figural embellishment. This double vessel has a flat bottom and flat lids, and is embellished with a male figure on one pot and a female figure on the other, suggesting that it may come from a closely related, but stylistically independent, tradition.
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