Label
2024, "Funerary Vessels from the Niger River Valley"
In contrast to the phallic-shaped vessels, this spherical terracotta funerary urn would be placed on the earth with the opening facing the sky. To protect the human skeletal remains and personal objects contained within, a secondary statuette—shaped and designed in either the likeness of the deceased or an animal effigy—would be placed in the opening. The funerary urn is decorated with designs that have been etched into the clay in a process called scarification, as well as areas of raised designs. Researchers believe these designs represent the lifeways of the deceased, perhaps their social status, the job they performed, or even the style of their hair.
Text by Cori Singleton, Washburn student