potters

Some baskets are bound so tightly that they can hold water. Zulu and Ndebele women from southern Africa use binding strips made of colored fiber to create intricate patterns in their coiled baskets. Inspiration for these patterns comes from nature-the joints of sugarcane plants, for example-and from spearheads and other handmade items. Most pottery is used for storing and serving liquids and other foods, although some is made for ritual use. Making pots is generally a woman's task, but in western and central Africa there are male potters as well, and who makes what generally depends on the pottery's purpose. Among some peoples in Nigeria, for example, women make pots that are for household use, while men make pots used in rituals. Both produce delicate, thin-walled pots, but they use different methods. As when making baskets, women usually employ a coil technique, rolling long strips of clay into coils, which they then stack to form the pot.

They sometimes shape a pot by stacking the coils around a mold. Men also use molds, but they form their pots from flat slabs of clay rather than from coils. The Igbo people of Nigeria have traditionally decorated both household and ceremonial pots with grooves, bosses (small knobs), and raised designs. Similar decorations appear on double-bowled pots used for offerings in community shrines. Spoons and other eating utensils are typically made of wood and may carry elaborate, carved decoration. Decorative vessels used as containers for food or water, or as drinking dishes, may be made of wood or clay. Household objects such as these may also impart prestige, indicating their owner's rank or status. For example, in the 19th century the Kuba of central Africa carved wooden vessels in the shape of human bodies or heads from which they drank palm wine in the palace, in men's clubhouses, and at funerary rituals. Kings and chiefs distributed these cups to gain the loyalty of their followers. A2Furniture Stools and headrests are the traditional forms of furniture in Africa. Stools, like other household items, can have both everyday and spiritual functions. Carved out of wood, some stools are very elaborate in design, especially when intended for a ceremony. The Luba people of central Africa produce caryatid stools, in which a male or female figure carved out of wood supports the stool's seat. These stools appear only at the king's investiture ceremonies. On most Luba stools, a kneeling female caryatid represents the owner's important female ancestors. Among the Ashanti of Ghana, a subgroup of the Akan people, there are both sacred and domestic stools. The most sacred stool of all is the Golden Stool, which is a symbol of the Ashanti nation. No one is allowed to sit on the Golden Stool; instead, it is enshrined on its own chair.

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