Lozi Lidded Vessel in the Form of a Duck

The Lozi live beside the Zambezi floodplain, where ducks are not a metaphor.

A lidded vessel in the form of a duck, Zambia, about 1990. Wood and pigment, a foot long and six inches high. The lid is the bird: a smooth dark body, a flat bill, and wings carved with a lighter patch. It sits on a bowl, raised on a low foot, and the whole thing is glossy black-brown.

Lift the lid and the duck becomes a container. It is a very civilized trick.

A good place for jewelry. Or secrets. Same thing.