This large vessel with a classic elegance was designed and built by the Dinka People of South Sudan. Atop the container lies a sizable opening, embellished with a slightly flared, beveled lip. The starkness of this piece renders a planetary-like appearance when viewed from a distance, yet upon closer inspection, one notices an engraved, grid pattern of thousands of tiny notches, giving the surface an appearance of cloth, rather than clay. This subtle embellishment serves both aesthetically and functionally as a griping mechanism when holding. The Dinka are a grasslands and cattle herding people. In this ethnic group, domesticated cattle serve a long standing religious and social role as a centerpiece of many cultural rituals. Unfortunately, the lasting, violent conflict within South Sudan, including a war between the Dinka and Neur Peoples, resulted in mass slaughter of these animals and destruction of myriad cultural objects, such as as the surviving vessel you see here.