Set Of 3 Kabyle/berber Potteries From The Rif, Algeria: Jug & 2 Plates

BERBER / KABYLE / IDDEQI POTTERIES, FOLK ART FROM THE RIF (Northern mountainous Algeria)

Set of 3 superb painted terracotta potteries with geometric designs:
*1 jug with 2 spouts and a top handle,
*and 2 plates on a slight heel.

Very good condition: no chips, cracks, or restorations, normal wear related to its frequent and daily use over the centuries (these pieces may date from early 20th century). Kabyle pieces in this condition are becoming increasingly rare; intended for daily and domestic use, many of them have indeed been broken. The pottery pieces are imbued with the lifestyle of Berber women and their families. Thus, these potteries from the Rif are useful objects for rural life: storage of food products, table art, preparation of dishes, transport or preservation of liquids, or even for personal hygiene.

Please note that the very minimalist and refined style of decor, as well as the raw brown-brick color of the terracotta of these 3 pieces, which is quite dark here, is rather unusual.

The pieces are turned and/or hand-shaped, making them all obviously unique.
Molded pieces combined by the potters from the Rif can create free forms according to their inspirations and needs, in contrast with the standard shapes of turned pottery.

Kabyle pottery is handcrafted, steeped in tradition, and is exclusively made by women, which is a social privilege. A saying from the Aurès is that 'clay, the source of the world, belongs to women.' This explains why the task of organizing, decorating the home, its terrace, garden, balconies, and workspaces is the privilege of women.
"Potters continue to work with great attention to detail, deeply touched by their belief in the symbiotic reciprocity of fertile earth and feminine nature in a vibrant harmony. Pottery is the product of essential physical forces: the interaction of fire, earth, and that vital element, water.
Sometimes using the coil technique, one of the earliest methods in the art of pottery, potters of the Rif can create free forms according to their inspirations and needs, in contrast to the standard shapes of turned pottery. As a result, these pieces are often thicker and have a more spontaneous appearance."

Decorative bands with interlacing geometric patterns amusingly refer to the art of textiles and carpets, like a complex weave.

Dimensions:
Diameter 24 * height 7cm, and 20 * 4.5cm for the 2 bowls
& 23cm height and diameter 17.5cm for the jug.

These 3 pieces are separable, priced at €240, €140, and €100, therefore... a premium for the set, which in my opinion deserves to remain intact.