Mambila Terra Cotta Figurative Vessel

A pot with a beard. Naturally.

Mambila potters in Cameroon, like many in the grasslands, shaped vessels for household and ritual use, and some were modeled with human features. This terra cotta vessel, 20th century, has a neck that forms an open-mouthed head with round, projecting ears and a fringed beard. Two long arms curve down across the body. The egg-shaped vessel is studded with small bosses and divided by raised serrated ridges, the central one touched with red-brown pigment, and white kaolin lingers in the recesses.

Twelve and a half inches high, on a metal base.

Put it near the dining table and see who talks to it.