Red Clay Water Vessel With Stopper "Criche"
date: label: Accession Date
content: 19 May 1959
name: label: Donor Name
content: Herbert W. Krieger
notes: label: Notes
content: OVOID PITCHER WITH ELONGATED NECK. PLAIN POLISHED FINISH WITH CRUDELY INCISED ENCIRCLING FLORAL DESIGN. PITCHERS SUCH AS THESE ARE COMMONLY FOUND ON VODOU ALTARS AS CONTAINERS FOR HOLY WATER USED IN THE INITIAL ACTS OF CULT WORSHIP. A HOUNGAN (PRIEST) WILL POUR THREE LIBATIONS AT THE ENTRANCE TO THE PERISTYLE AS A SIGN OF RESPECT FOR THE DIETIES BEING INVOKED. LINES OF WATER WILL ALSO BE POURED FROM THE ENTRANCES OF THE PERISTYLE TO THE "POTEAU-MITAN" (CENTERPOLE). IN VODOU COSMOLOGY WATER IS THE MEDIUM OF PASSAGE BETWEEN THE WORLDS OF THE LIVING AND DEAD. DURING SERVICES WATER MAY BE POURED FROM CRICHE (PITCHERS) ONTO THE EARTH TO REFRESH THE WEARY "LOA" (DIETIES).
label: Record Last Modified
content: 26 Sep 2023
label: Specimen Count
content: 1
place: label: Place
content: Les Cayes, Sud Province, Haiti, Caribbean
topic: label: Topic
content: Ethnology
culture: label: Culture
content: Haitian
setName: label: See more items in
content: Anthropology
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: NMNH - Anthropology Dept.
identifier: label: Accession Number
content: 113146
label: USNM Number
content: E364726-0
objectType: label: Object Type
content: Water Vessel