A large Mambila transformation ritual vessel from the Foubiegouo chiefdom in Cameroon. A standing figure with a wide open mouth rises from a round, bulging belly, and the whole surface is worked in studs.

1. Form and Modelling

The collection catalogue gives the dimensions as 40 x 40 x 78 cm. The vessel is built in two parts: a spherical lower body, and above it a human figure that stands on it with both legs. The head is crowned by a serrated rim and carries rounded ears on both sides. The open mouth, ringed by a raised lip, is the opening of the vessel. A heavy ring marks the neck. The chest is modelled with two small breasts, and the arms bend at the elbows so that both hands meet in front of the body.

2. Surface

Rows of small, pointed studs cover the legs, the body of the figure and the belly below it, arranged in vertical lines on the chest and in tight, regular fields on the legs and the belly. The surface is a warm orange-brown with darker, grey-black patches and a few pale, chalky areas, and in places the relief shows signs of wear and loss. The vessel stands on a braided ring.

Summary

A tall, richly studded vessel from Foubiegouo in which a standing figure and a spherical body form a single, upright shape.