Baganda Milk Jug with Native Repair

A tiny metal heart sits at the lip.

Baganda makers in Uganda, East Africa, carved this bottle-shaped milk jug from wood in the 20th century, and patched it in aluminum. Narrow-necked wooden vessels have long been used across East Africa for milk. The shoulders are round and the neck is short. The surface has deepened to a rich amber brown, and the small heart-shaped patch beside the opening gives it a surprising tenderness.

About 10 inches tall. Sentimental, in a very restrained way. It will charm the shelf without saying a word.