Mangbetu Ceramic Figurative Vessel

Arms flung wide and head held high, as if the pot had just been announced.

This figurative vessel is Mangbetu, from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Central Africa, and dates to the 20th century. It is incised terra cotta. Mangbetu figural pots, with their long, swept-back heads, are generally associated with the late 19th and early 20th centuries and with the elaborate court style of the region. A small figure rises from the round body, arms raised and fists clenched, its elongated head finely pricked all over. Legs drape down the globe, which is covered in incised diamonds and zigzags. It is 13.5 inches high and 8 in diameter.

Very pleased with itself, and with good reason.