Vessel from the Black Africa

I'm not going to get smart, I don't know how old the dish is or exactly where it comes from. It looks good, it has beautiful permanent patina so I think it's at least a few decades old. The trouble is, those that are centuries old look exactly the same. I don't think it's made nowadays. Today, African craftsmen respond to European tastes by making richly decorated dishes. It's frugal in decoration, beautiful in its simplicity. I think it comes from Benin. The spiral-shaped ornament used is very characteristic for the products of the Kingdom of Benin. Unfortunately, many other cultures used this ornament, so I am not sure. In purchasing and evaluation I am guided by intuition and many years of experience rather than solid academic knowledge.

The purpose of the vessel is also a mystery. The image of a scorpion and fish is hidden under the bottom of the bowl. Just like a scorpion hides under a stone and a fish in the water. And just like the secret knowledge is available only to a shaman or sorcerer. Hidden from the sight of an ordinary mortal. So I think the vessel could have been used to make potions for magical rituals.

Dimensions of the vessel: height about 10 cm. Width approx. 13 cm. Diameter of the bottom 8 cm.