PROJECTING THE IGNORED; SOME FUNCTIONS AND CONTEXTS OF TRADITIONAL POTTERY IN NAAKPILI COMMUNITY IN NORTHERN GHANA

The aim of this paper was to identify and project some ignored traditional pottery functions and contexts found within the Naakpili community at Saboba district in the northern part of Ghana. As a result, emphasis was given to the identification of some functions and contexts of traditional pottery in Naakpili community. The descriptive way of qualitative research approach was used. This involved the use of case study research designs. Interview and observation were employed as a method for data collection processes. For convenience purpose, the researchers used the tabulation method of presenting findings. With this, the table was divided into three sections; inclusively were the section for the traditional name of the pot, a section for the function and a section for its context. The data were then analyzed and the indications were that, the potters make interesting forms of traditional pottery for different purposes; and the local name given to each pot perfectly defines their functions and contexts within northern Ghana. On the flipside of the coin, the function and context of every pot can also be dictated by its end user. Base on this, the researchers were able to discover some functions and contexts of the indigenous pottery which were put into some groups. On the first hand, the researchers classified the functions into five groups of purpose. These included: domestic purposes, religious purposes, rites of passage purposes and traditional herbal medicinal purposes. On other hand, seven groups of contexts were also discovered at the time of the study. These included: courtyards, bedrooms, bathrooms, graveyards, kitchens and shrines as places where these pots can be found among the people of the Naakpili.