A vessel from a virtually unknown people, this jar is composed of a bulbous body with a small pedestal end. At the top is a stylized head. The middle area, or “chest,” has three central raised double bands like twisted fiber or rope. Old Calabar, situated at the mouth of the Cross River, was an important trading center and consequently had considerable contact with Europeans. Such objects as this one may have served a similar purpose as those of the Nnim fertility cult of the Ejagham, who are part of the Cross River group. The elemental, primal quality of this vessel speaks volumes, though it keeps its original function a secret.