Congolese Anthropomorphic Vessel with Strap Handle

A bird's beak, a tall flat cap and a jug's handle. All of it fired into one.

This anthropomorphic vessel with strap handle comes from the Republic of Congo, in terra cotta. Figurative pottery in Central Africa often went beyond daily use, serving at important gatherings or as a sign of its owner's standing, with palm wine a common contents. The round body carries two knobs in front and a pitted surface throughout. A tall neck rises from a studded collar, with hanging straps, to a sharp hooked beak and a flat-topped cylinder. One looped handle arches behind. Twelve inches high.

A pitcher with a very firm idea of itself.