Mambila Ceramic Figurative Vessel

Long snout, small ears, a crest on top. The arms come as a surprise.

This figurative vessel is Mambila, from Cameroon, and dates to the 20th century. It is terra cotta. The Mambila of Cameroon used figures, masks and clay vessels like this in rites tied to healing, protection and village well-being, though the use of any one vessel is rarely recorded. A long-faced head with a toothed crest sits on a tall neck. Two rope-like arms curl around a round body, their hands meeting beside a ridge down the center. It rests on a woven ring. Twenty-four inches high and just over twelve wide.

Hard to name the species. Harder to care.