Mambila Ceramic Figurative Vessel

A face of wide white eyes above a belly that has clearly eaten well.

Mambila potters of Cameroon, Central Africa, formed this figurative vessel in terra cotta in the 20th century. Figural earthenware like this is often associated with ceremonial and household use among Mambila communities. A flat-topped cap crowns a long, narrow head with small round mouth and pale eyes. Two coiled arms curve around the chest and meet near the chin, and a round navel marks the brown, burnished belly. It rests on a short metal collar.

About 16 inches tall. Solemn, plump and a good listener.