Mambila Ceramic Figurative Vessel

A tiny head with a sharp stare above a belly of bumps.

This figurative vessel was made by Mambila potters of Cameroon, Central Africa, in terra cotta in the 20th century. Figural pots of this kind are often associated with ritual. The head is topped by a cap of short spikes, with rounded eyes ringed in orange and a small open mouth. A pair of smooth, ridged shoulders slope down, and a line of beads follows the chin. The dark brown body is lightly burnished.

About 14 inches tall. Gravity, in clay.