Borana Woven Milk Vessel

The Borana Oromo people of southern Ethiopia and northern Kenya are historically a cattle-keeping culture, and each household keeps a number of traditional vessels for storing and churning cow's milk. This bottle-form vessel would have been used within the home, always filled with rich milk in case of a visitor or special occasion. Created exclusively by women, such vessels are hand-woven from boiled roots with banded patterns and coated with a resinous paste for a water-tight seal. The rounded body of this milk vessel is made of a dried-out gourd, which seamlessly connects to a tall woven neck. A fantastic display of Ethiopian handicraft, this African milk vessel offers rich texture and storied history.