Shea Butter Jar
| Culture | Baatonu |
|---|---|
| Title | Shea Butter Jar |
| Date | Early to mid-20th century |
| Medium | Clay |
| Dimensions | Object: 12 1/2 × 12 in. (31.8 × 30.5 cm) Overall: 12 1/2 × 12 in. (31.8 × 30.5 cm) |
| Credit Line | Gift of William M. Itter, Eskenazi Museum of Art, Indiana University |
| Accession Number | 2014.84 |
| This artwork is currently off display. You may be able to see this artwork by filling out an art viewing room request. | |
The exterior of the vessel is decorated with two raised bands that encircle the jar at its waist level. The surface of the jar is covered with raised clay pictographic motifs (animal, human, and plant forms) within and above the horizontal bands.
Among the Baatonu, a woman’s mother typically gave her a jar such as this example when she married. Considered a blessing this jar held shea-butter, a staple used in cooking, for skin care, medicine, and as lantern oil. After the shea-butter is used, the jar could store another substance.
Provenance research is ongoing for this and many other items in the Eskenazi Museum of Art permanent collection. For more information about the provenance of this artwork, please contact the department curator with specific questions.
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Cite this page
"Shea Butter Jar | Collections Online." Collections Online. Sidney and Lois Eskenazi Museum of Art, Indiana University, 2025. https://artmuseum.indiana.edu/collections-online/browse/object.php?number=2014.84