Mangbetu Nine-Spouted Vessel

Spouts sprout in every direction, so it looks less like a pot than a small gathering.

This nine-spouted vessel is Mangbetu, from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Central Africa, and dates to the 20th century, in terra cotta. Mangbetu potters are widely admired for inventive, often sculptural vessels, and multi-spouted forms are among the more ambitious shapes in Central African ceramics. The low, rounded base is covered in rows of impressed, braid-like texture. From its shoulder rise thick, tube-like spouts, some leaning outward, their rims roughly finished. The clay is a dark reddish brown with lighter patches where the surface has worn. It is 8 inches high and 13 in diameter.

A pot with many mouths and, presumably, many opinions.