The body of the vessel bears a highly naturalistic face with very large eyes, a broad nose and a narrow mouth. The cheeks are scarred with three marks reminiscent of Yoruban art traditions. The apex of the vessel is decorated with the open-mouth head of a smaller individual, his arms folded into his chest.

It is certainly true that this piece is not a secular object, or at least not purely so. Standing almost three feet high, it seems unlikely that it could have reasonably been used for dispensing anything. It is of course possible that it was used to store some rare unguent for a ritual purpose – such as ancestor veneration – and if it received libations on its own account this may explain the dark patina it has acquired. The care with which it has been conceived and executed suggests that it was a significant object in the eyes of the contemporary population, and that it held an important place in some religious or ritual context.