African jars: medium of choice in African art

Artistic supports of African sculptors, jars, these traditional objects well known on the African continent and in countries where water is not an easily accessible abundant commodity, are useful objects but are also used for ritual purposes. Terracotta, mastered for millennia, is still used today. Their shape varies greatly from one region to another. The Mangbetu and the Chokwe, for example, are well known for their figurative jars, surmounted by sometimes male, sometimes female characters.