Clay and Spirit: Animist Values in Tangible Pottery Artworks of Benin City

Abstract

  This study examines the animist values embedded in pottery artworks of Benin City, Nigeria. Pottery functions not only as a utilitarian craft but also as a symbolic medium for expressing spiritual beliefs and communal identity. Drawing on ethnographic observations, oral traditions, and secondary sources, the research explores the relationship between material form and spiritual meaning. The findings indicate that pottery retains animist significance through ritual use, symbolic representation, and cultural narratives. However, these traditions face challenges from modernization, industrial alternatives, and declining apprenticeship systems. The study concludes by emphasizing the importance of preserving pottery as both tangible heritage and a carrier of intangible cultural values.