Mambila Terra Cotta Figurative Vessel

Some potters make a jar. Mambila potters sometimes make a person who happens to hold water.

This terra cotta vessel from Cameroon, 20th century, rises fifteen inches on a metal base. A long neck ends in an open-mouthed head with short projecting ears, and a framed rectangle in red and white marks the front of the neck. Two bent limbs grip the shoulders of the round body, flanking a raised, deeply textured central ridge lined with small bosses.

Red-brown pigment and white kaolin enliven the dark, earthy surface.

Some features turn a container into sculpture. This has them all. Keep it where there is room to be looked at.