Use of pottery in family ceremonies and symbolism: Wolof region in Senegal.

Abstract

In the Wolof society, the social reality is founded, most often, through the symbolic network of the culture that shapes the lives of people. However, most studies related to pottery in Africa pay a special focus on the technical and archeological aspects while obscuring its intangible heritage. Thus, this study seeks to elucidate the usage of pottery in family ceremonies and its symbolism in the Wolof-Senegal region

The observation and the investigation surveys constitute the main tools administered to potters to collect the social and cultural practices bequeathed by their ancestors. These practices represent their values, beliefs, knowledge and traditions in perpetual evolution.

Key words: symbolism, pottery, intangible heritage, Wolof, Senegal.