A rounded vessel from the Mambila of Cameroon, surmounted by a long-bodied creature that arches over the shoulder of the pot. The collection catalogue records it as coming from the Matam Chiefdom.

1. Form

The body is full and almost spherical, with shallow vertical ribbing and a line of small raised studs along its flank. A creature rests on top: it has a rounded head with an applied ear, a small raised eye and an open mouth, and its elongated body rises in a high loop that leaves an open gap above the vessel. One slender limb ending in a splayed foot reaches down across the surface of the pot.

2. Surface

The surface is matt and granular, in mottled earthy browns with orange and darker patches and traces of a lighter deposit. The vessel stands on a coiled ring of plant fibre.

3. Context

The collection catalogue designates the piece a transformation ritual vessel and lists it with related vessels from Matam, in sizes of up to about 60 cm.

Summary

A rounded Mambila ritual vessel from the Matam Chiefdom, Cameroon, topped by an arching creature with an open mouth.