Chaînes opératoires de montage et fonctions sociales : les poteries de mariage somono (Mali)

Abstract

This contribution tries to answer the following ­question: is there in the ceramic traditions of the Inner Delta in Mali a relation between the variations of chains operating to make the ceramics and the functions? This work makes use of current ­ethno­archaeological data ­stemming from the Delta and is focused on the Somono pottery tradition. Next to daily use vessels, this tradition includes richly ­ornamented vessels that may exceptionally be ­manufactured by Bambara women potters using similar decorative patterns but showing distinct ­morphological characteristics as far as the bottoms are concerned. These vessels are used for domestic purposes, water storage, household equipment and distinct social uses but not for cooking. While the vessels of daily use are introduced into the market economy and sold on weekly markets, the highly ornamented vessels are not part of this type of diffusion and they can be offered as a wedding gift to the bride or be a present given to the mother after childbirth. They are found mainly in the families of this ethnic group. By contrast, they are very seldom in Bozo context, unlike potteries of daily use of the same origin. The geographical distribution of the highly ornamented vessels highlights the area of production of this vessel type and the region ­settled by the Somono. In summary, the political and social context introduces significant ­variability: specific assembling of the pre-form compared to ­foreign traditions and an important input into the ­decoration of the wedding vessels specific to the ethnic group.

Keywords

• Somono
• Bozo
• prestige object
• pottery
• decorations