Mande Cultural Expression in the Work of Female Potters

For centuries, Mande women of West Africa have been creating ceramics through traditional methods passed down from one generation of women to the next. Mande ceramics, created by skilled female artists, function not only as a means of making money, but also represent broader Mande concepts of social organization and spirituality. The process by which ceramics are created and the forms of the vessels represent ideas of Mande culture, and show how Mande ideas have spread throughout West Africa and remained constant over time. The potters themselves, known as numumuso, use hand building techniques to create ceramic vessels from clay they harvest which are then fired communally. These vessels are then sold, primarily to women to bring into a marriage and use in the household. Ceramic techniques are passed down from mother to daughter, as the position of numumuso is inherited matrilineally. Numumuso do not just create ceramics for practical purposes, however. The taboos associated with pottery production, and the roles of numumuso outside of ceramics, indicate a broader cultural significance for the vessels they create. Numumuso function as midwives and are involved in rituals that show their spiritual power in the community, which are further evidenced in the techniques and significance of the ceramic vessels they create.