Bura Figurative Vessel Top, Based

Geometry, and a calm to match. The Bura made this one with a ruler’s patience.

In Bura burial grounds in Niger, heads like this were set upon jars, markers above the dead. This vessel top dates to the 11th to 15th centuries. A long ridge forms the brow line and nose. The eyes are narrow incised slits, and a small mouth and pointed chin sit above a thick columnar neck. The ears are low swellings at the sides.

The orange clay has a granular, softly weathered skin, and a black base lifts it to seven and a half inches. Serene, no explanation needed.