Bura Figurative Vessel Top, Based

Raised eyebrows, a round button nose and a mouth caught mid-sentence.

This figurative vessel top is Bura, from Niger, West Africa, and dates to the 11th to 15th century. It is terra cotta, mounted on a base. Bura terra cottas were unearthed in large burial fields beside the Niger River, and heads like this are generally thought to have crowned jars associated with the dead. The head is a smooth rounded dome with narrow slit eyes, a small flaring nose and a tiny open mouth. One ear survives on the side. It sits on a long cylindrical neck of pale buff clay. It is 3 inches wide and 8.5 high.

An expression of mild surprise, held for a remarkably long time.