Baganda Vessel with Multiple Bulbous Feet

Three bulbous feet, one sturdy neck, and no interest in tipping over.

Baganda potters of Uganda, East Africa, shaped this footed vessel in terra cotta in the 20th century. Baganda ceramics are often finished to a dark, smooth surface and made in forms that vary from the plain to the sculptural. Here a tall collar with a stamped, textured band rises from a pinched waist, and below it the body splits into rounded, lobe-like feet that bear the weight. The surface is a deep, smoky black-brown, worn and a little glossy where hands have held it.

About 8.8 inches tall. A tripod with presence, happiest by itself on a shelf.