Container (abebudie)
20th century, 1950–2000
Object PlaceGhana
Medium/TechniqueTerracotta
DimensionsOverall (total height): 27 cm (10 5/8 in.)
Other (lid): 16.8 x 26 cm (6 5/8 x 10 1/4 in.)
Ceramics (bowl): 30 x 12.4 cm (11 13/16 x 4 7/8 in.)
Other (lid): 16.8 x 26 cm (6 5/8 x 10 1/4 in.)
Ceramics (bowl): 30 x 12.4 cm (11 13/16 x 4 7/8 in.)
Credit LineGift of Geneviève McMillan in memory of Reba Stewart
Accession number2009.2661
On View
Not on viewClassificationsDecorative arts
Collections
Asante men made figurative pots with human and animal motifs, while women produced utilitarian pottery. So-called "proverb pots," or abebudie, such as this, served as vessels for an important man's drinking water. Tortoise, snail, cock, chameleon, (which embodies patience), and a cocoa pod allude to various Akan proverbs and maxims. An incised heart and key are motifs that came from Europe. Keys demonstrate the control over riches that needed to be locked and secured in chests. The heart stands for honesty, patience, and endurance.
Inscriptionsin black marker underside of lid: Y45Provenance1982, sold by the Leonard Kahan Gallery, New York, to Geneviève McMillan (b. 1922 - d. 2008), Cambridge, MA; 2008, to the Geneviève McMillan and Reba Stewart Foundation, Cambridge; 2009, gift of the Geneviève McMillan and Reba Stewart Foundation to the MFA. (Accession Date: June 17, 2009)
