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

This article explores the animist values embodied in pottery traditions of Benin City, Nigeria. Drawing on ethnographic fieldwork, oral histories, and scholarly literature, it examines how clay is perceived not only as a material resource but also as a spiritual medium within Edo cosmology. The study highlights pottery’s role in ritual practices, ancestral veneration, and symbolic communication, while also addressing challenges posed by modernization and industrial substitutes. Despite declining everyday use, pottery remains a vital cultural and spiritual heritage, sustained through ritual contexts, museum initiatives, and contemporary revivalist networks. The paper underscores pottery’s dual significance as both tangible craft and intangible heritage, calling for renewed attention to its preservation and transmission.