Sukuma Wood Vessel, Tanzania

Tall, tapering jar with a pinched spout and a single loop handle.

This carved wood vessel of the Sukuma peoples is Sukuma, from Tanzania, East Africa, and dates to the 20th century. Wooden vessels are carved from a single block of timber using adzes and knives, and the grain and shape of the tree often guide the finished form. Rough, pitted pot in warm cream and tan tones, wider at the shoulders and narrowing to a small base. A small loop handle sits near the pinched lip, and the surface is mottled with dark stains and scratches. It is 5.5 inches wide, 5 deep and 9 high.

Worn smooth by use, and happy to look it.