Bura Figurative Vessel Top, Based

Long-necked, serene. It once rose above a funerary jar.

Bura sites along the Niger River have yielded many such pieces, set above burials. This one, made in Niger between the 11th and 15th centuries, is a long, gently flaring column topped by an oval head. A raised ridge runs down the forehead to a pinched nose. The lips are full and pursed, the eyes small swellings beneath the brow, and small ears project at each side. A whitish encrustation clings to one cheek.

Ten inches tall on its black stand, with a long, graceful profile. Seen from the side, it gets even better.