Chamba Ceramic Vessel, Nigeria

A pot with a face pressed into its side, nose and brows and all.

Chamba potters of Nigeria, West Africa, made this vessel in terra cotta in the 20th century. Clay pots in the region commonly serve for storage and ritual, and anthropomorphic details are often associated with ancestors or spirits. A rounded, squat body has a slim nose and arched brows modeled in relief on one side. The neck is short with an uneven, slightly frilled rim. The surface is a weathered gray-brown with patches of orange-red clay showing through.

About five inches tall. Small, wary, and a good deal older-looking than it is.