Bura Terracotta Funerary Vessel

Bura Asinda-Sikka Culture, c. 200–1200 AD, Niger or Burkina Faso, West Africa

A fascinating and finely modeled ancient terracotta vessel, formed with a gracefully compressed globular body, short ring foot, flaring rim, and a single loop handle—elements that together convey both elegance and solemn ritual purpose.

This vessel is a rare survivor of the Bura Asinda-Sikka culture, a mysterious and highly distinctive civilization that thrived in the lower Niger River valley between the 3rd and 13th centuries AD. The archaeological site of Bura, discovered in 1975 near Niamey, Niger’s capital, revealed a wealth of funerary artifacts that have since reshaped our understanding of early West African cultures.

Bura ceramics are renowned for their anthropomorphic urns, ovoid forms, and stylized heads, often minimalistic in expression but deeply symbolic. While some vessels bear human or animal features, others—like this one—speak through their form alone. Used in burial contexts, such vessels were often found inverted and clustered, containing skeletal remains, clothing, iron weapons, and offerings of food—testament to a rich belief in the continuity of life beyond death.

Though much about the Bura remains unknown, their terracotta works reflect a sophisticated funerary tradition, where art, utility, and spiritual meaning are powerfully intertwined. This vessel stands not just as a container, but as a sacred object, embodying the cultural memory and rituals of a long-lost people.

Good condition. Part of the foot are missing. Surface wear and abrasions commensurate with age, nicks and chip, with fading to some finer features, and light encrustations within recessed areas. Nice earthen deposits throughout. Size approx. 12,0cm x 12,0cm x 12,5cm.

Provenance: Dutch private collection

References and further reading:

Bura Funerary Urns: Niger Terracottas: An Interpretive Limbo?, Michelle Gilbert, African Arts, The MIT Press, Vol. 53, No.1, Spring 2020, pp. 66-75.

Earth and Ore: 2500 Years of African Art in Terra-cotta and Metal, Karl-Ferdinand Schädler, Panterra, January 1, 1997.

Un "Village des Morts" à Bura en Republique du Niger', Boube Gado, in J. Devisse (ed.), Vallées du Niger, Paris: Réunion des Musées Nationaux, 1993, pp. 365-74.

One Hundred Years of Archaeology in Niger, Anne C. Haour, Journal of World Prehistory, Vol.17. No.2, June 2003, pp. 181-234.