Mambila Ceramic Figurative Vessel

Something is crawling over the shoulders, and the pot does not mind.

Mambila potters of Cameroon, Central Africa, made this figurative vessel in terra cotta in the 20th century. Figurative pots of the region are commonly associated with ritual contexts. A long neck rises to a head with an open mouth and small ears. Two coiled, serpent-like forms circle the shoulders, their ends looping down the front. Rows of tiny incised chevrons run down the center of the dark brown globe, and its surface carries a dry bloom of age.

About 15 inches tall. Handsome, restless, entirely still.