Chamba Ceramic Anthropomorphic Vessel

A pot with a face, a belly of scales and a firm expression.

Chamba potters of Nigeria, West Africa, shaped this anthropomorphic vessel in terra cotta in the 20th century. Figural vessels across the region are often associated with ritual, ancestors and the keeping of water or medicine, though meanings vary by community. The neck rises to a rounded, open mouth with a small modeled brow, and the front of the body is covered in rows of raised pellets inside an oval border. Fine incised lines mark what may be limbs below. The clay is a warm, matte beige-orange.

About 14 inches tall. It will look back at you from a bookshelf, politely.