A rounded clay vessel of the Chamba from northern Cameroon, with a modelled human face at the top and a wide, hollow mouth.

1. Form and Modelling

The head is small against the full, broad body. Two large, flat ears stand out like discs on either side of the face. The eyes are shallow, slit-like hollows, and a short vertical incision marks each cheek. The nose has pierced nostrils, a small knob projects from the crown, and a short appendage hangs from the chin. The mouth is a wide, open hollow. A raised, oval ridge runs around the front of the body, and two arms are indicated beside it in low relief. Below this band the vessel tapers towards its base.

2. Context

The collection catalogue gives Yeli village in the Trans-Faro Province as its provenance and refers the reader to a related Chamba ancestral pot. That pot is described as coming from a domestic altar in front of a hut and as a means of communicating with the ancestor it represents.

3. Surface

The surface is a matte, grainy brown-grey with reddish patches. Light, granular deposits remain on the face, the ears and the shoulders. The pot stands on a braided fibre ring.

Summary

A Chamba ancestral pot from the village of Yeli, with a large-eared face and a ridged, rounded body.