Berber amphora, Algeria, Greater Kabylia - Lot 116

Lot n° 116
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Estimation :
600 - 700 EUR
Berber amphora, Algeria, Greater Kabylia - Lot 116
Berber amphora, Algeria, Greater Kabylia Terracotta, pigments H. 53 cm - L. 29.5 cm Bibliography Béatrice Lecestre-Rollier, "Makilam, Signes et rituels magiques des femmes kabyles", Clio, 40 | 2014. Jean Couroujou, "La poterie modelée d'Afrique du Nord dite poterie kabyle". In Revue L'Algérianiste, N° 96. An exclusively feminine craft, Kabyle pottery is made once a year for domestic use, like this amphora-shaped jar, covered with a red ochre slip, used to fetch water. The stretched, oval body is extended by a long cylindrical neck with a flared rim. The ends of the longitudinal handles feature a hook-shaped appendage. The body and base of the neck are decorated with geometric signs painted in black and red on a white background, some of which date back to prehistoric times and the beginnings of the Tifinagh alphabet. Far from having a purely aesthetic function, the iconography on these jars is rich in symbols with a strong spiritual value, and constitutes a specifically feminine script, like the jewelry and tattoos, revealing "the autonomous consciousness of Kabyle women and the esoteric knowledge of which they were the sole depositories in traditional society to the exclusion of men". Symbolizing femininity, the rhombus is a recurring figure in the iconography of Kabyle craftsmanship. The triangle motif, composed of a network of parallel lines intersecting to form a grid, places this jar in the territory of Greater Kabylia.
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