This characterful piece was made by the Azande people, who inhabit a wide swath of Central Africa, ranging from Sudan to the DRC. It constitutes a small vessel decorated with kidney-shaped blocks of incised decoration, curvilinear hatching and incisions. The neck tapers slightly, and is surmounted with a typically Azande head, with almond eyes, pursed lips and an ornate hairstyle set in long ridges. There is a small aperture in the apex of the head. The clay is very dark. Function is uncertain but it may have occupied a ritual rather than practical function.


This is a striking and appealing piece of African art.