ABSTRACT
There is little doubt that ceramics are among the earliest and most ubiquitous forms of material culture produced in Africa. Fired clay objects from Africa take both nonfigurative and figurative forms. The term terra-cotta is frequently used to distinguish figurative sculpture from functional vessels, or to distinguish art from craft. This distinction corresponds to the predominance of men as sculptors and women as potters; however, across the continent, there are men who produce utilitarian wares and women who produce figurative ceramics.
