Tutsi Rattan Ceremonial Calabash

One red stripe runs down the front like a racing line.

Tutsi makers of Rwanda, East Africa, made this ceremonial calabash in gourd and rattan in the early 20th century. Gourds like this are commonly connected to milk storage, and to the formal side of household life. It is tall and teardrop-shaped, in dark brown with a broad reddish band running the length of the body. The long neck ends in a flat woven lid with a black-and-tan checkered pattern.

About 10 inches tall. The red stripe does the talking.