Mambila Ceramic Figurative Vessel

A tall pedestal, a crowded neck, and one open mouth at the summit.

Mambila potters of Cameroon, Central Africa, built this figurative vessel in terra cotta in the 20th century. Such vessels are often associated with ritual and display. A short foot supports a pear-shaped body, scaled on its upper half and plain below. Small figures with looped limbs gather at the shoulder and neck, climbing up toward a head with a hollow, open mouth that serves as the opening. The color is a dusty grey-brown with warm patches.

About 20 inches tall, the tallest of its kind. A vase that insists on a pedestal-high shelf.