From the fine surface lines, it is clear that a tournette was used to turn the pot slowly during manufacture, just as it is by Jenne potters today. The careful smoothing was probably done with a piece of leather. Thickened outturned rims from shallow dishes and plates also become important. Mean rim diameter increases rapidly fairly early in the phase. The distinctive curved tripod legs of Tellem bowls occur in small numbers, usually painted and, so far, always broken off the vessels of which they were a part.
Twine decoration continues to be the dominant decorative mode.
Paint is often superimposed on channeling, which is the only plastic decorative motif of any importance in this phase. Several different, but related, styles of paint decoration have been recognized. Most common is monochrome or polychrome on channeled and slipped pottery. Here, one or more colors of paint are applied in or over the channels on deep-red slipped rims. From the partially fugitive nature of the white paint, it appears that the white paint was applied just after firing.