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Source Description
Made by a female potter nearly a century ago, this palm wine vessel represents past and present cultural practices in the Cameroon Grassfields (northwest and western Cameroon). Women in the pottery-producing centers of Babessi and Bamessing hand-built these vessels. Their process alludes to pregnancy, labor, and delivery. Passing knowledge from mother to daughter since at least the 1700s, making pottery is a female economic, social, and artistic contribution. Yet many motifs refer to royal or male power, such as the lizards on this vessel. Elegant palm wine vessels like this were appropriate for ritual and hospitality in Cameroon Grassfields royal courts.
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
160761
label
Palm Wine Vessel (kuh mendu)
core
obj
dtoType
object
pageCount
1
Source metadata
id
160761
contentType
object
title
Palm Wine Vessel (kuh mendu)
description
Made by a female potter nearly a century ago, this palm wine vessel represents past and present cultural practices in the Cameroon Grassfields (northwest and western Cameroon). Women in the pottery-producing centers of Babessi and Bamessing hand-built these vessels. Their process alludes to pregnancy, labor, and delivery. Passing knowledge from mother to daughter since at least the 1700s, making pottery is a female economic, social, and artistic contribution. Yet many motifs refer to royal or male power, such as the lizards on this vessel. Elegant palm wine vessels like this were appropriate for ritual and hospitality in Cameroon Grassfields royal courts.
date
1900s
citation
rights
CC0
rightsUri
CC0
language
en
wikidata
Q79982489
genreSpecific
Vessels
imageCount
1
source
import
dimensionsRaw
Overall: 45 cm (17 11/16 in.)
cul
Probably Babessi or Bamessing, Cameroon, Cameroon Grassfields-style pottery, unknown female ceramicist
accession
1998.94
Source extras
tec
Terracotta
tombstone
Palm Wine Vessel (kuh mendu), 1900s. Probably Babessi or Bamessing, Cameroon, Cameroon Grassfields-style pottery, unknown female ceramicist. Terracotta; overall: 45 cm (17 11/16 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, John L. Severance Fund, 1998.94
collection
African Art
didYouKnow
Serving and sharing palm wine in decorated vessels like this is part of a larger food culture in the Cameroon Grassfields kingdoms that centers on ritual, hospitality, status, and diplomacy.
creditline
John L. Severance Fund
updatedAt
2026-05-29 08:21:29.002000
sourceId
160761
dept
African Art
coll
African Art
med
Terracotta
thumbnail_url
image_url
Single page context
seq
1
pageIndex
0
type
photo
mediaId
aca60f45f0f822f5