Mangbetu Figurative Female Vessel

A tall, ribbed coiffure rises from her head and finishes in a neat knot.

This figurative female vessel is Mangbetu, from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Central Africa, and dates to the 20th century, in terra cotta. Anthropomorphic pots of this kind are generally associated with Mangbetu courts, and they celebrate the elongated head and elaborate hairstyle the Mangbetu prized. The globular body is dark and burnished, and a plain collar marks the neck. The face is calm, with heavy lids, a wide nose and full lips, and the hair is finely incised in rows above the brow. A loop handle joins head to shoulder. It is 7.5 inches wide, 6 deep and 12 high.

The hairstyle alone would justify the pot.