Bura Figurative Vessel Top, Based

Pinch of nose. Shallow eyes. That is all a Bura face needed.

Heads of this type are associated with burial sites, where they capped clay vessels placed in the ground. This one, modeled in terra cotta in Niger and dated to the 11th to 15th centuries, has a bulbous head on a tall cylindrical neck that flares at the base. Rounded ears project at either side. The reddish-brown surface is rough and encrusted, with patches of lighter earth caught in the hollows.

Eight inches, on a black stand. A column with opinions.