Baganda Milk Jug with Native Repair

Hexagons of tin climb the side like a spine.

This milk jug, wood with an aluminum repair, was made by the Baganda of Uganda, East Africa, in the 20th century. Vessels like it were commonly used to hold and carry milk. Here the mend is a vertical chain of overlapping six-sided metal tabs, large at the base and shrinking toward the rim, set against deep chocolate wood. A few small pieces cluster near the lip.

About 10 inches tall. Repairs rarely look this deliberate. Mended things tend to outlast perfect ones.