As in much of West Africa, Ghana produces an abundance of pottery, most of it crafted by women.  The Fesi Pottery is located in Kpandu in the Upper Volta region, a major area for pottery. Fesi Pottery is well known for animal models as well as functional and decorative forms. These popular tourist items have been widely exported. The production of animal and bird models dates back at least a century, as examples from the early 20th century can be found in Liverpool and Manchester museums. This raises the question as to what extent these objects are products of colonial contact as well as embodying some of the rich metaphors and proverbs that abound in Ghanaian culture. At Fesi, traditional systems of working are maintained in a group workshop. Ceramic objects are modelled by hand, and fired 50 at a time in a 45-minute bonfire every three days using wood and bamboo.

Nigeria, in West Africa, has rich and diverse pottery traditions and the majority of potters are women who handbuild and bonfire their wares.  However, when Michael Cardew a British studio potter, first set up the Pottery Training Centre at Abuja he sought to introduce the European technologies of wheel and kiln.  Even though Cardew’s scheme targeted young men, his most promising disciple turned out to be Ladi Kwali, a skilled potter in the Gwari tradition. Ladi Kwali adapted the distinctive Gwari style of surface decoration to the new technical media. Marrying tradition and change, she is best known for her high-fired glazed stoneware inscribed with sgraffito designs of stylized animals.