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The Mangbetu people originally came from
modern day Sudan but migrated to north-east
Zaire in the nineteenth century. By this date
there
was already a well established tradition of
producing utilitarian terracotta vessels with
striking incised decorations. The fashion for
anthropomorphic vessels was a late and
relatively short-lived phenomenon, flourishing
between the 1890s and the 1920s. This double-
headed example is a particularly fine example of
this development. A similar vessel was collected
by the mammalogist Herbert Lang in 1913
during his famous trip to the Congo and is now
in the American Museum of Natural History.
Elaborate terracotta vessels such as this one
were the preserve of Mangbetu chieftains and
wealthy European visitors. Their precise function
is unclear but they were obviously high status
items that lent their owners considerable
prestige. Although equipped with a wide loop
handle, the presence of two openings angled in
different directions would have made the vessel
impractical for pouring. The two female heads
have elongated skulls reflecting the Mangbetu
practice of binding the heads of infants with
raffia. The fan-shaped coiffure also represents a
fashion amongst wealthy Mangbetu women.
Although there is considerable symmetry
apparent in the two heads, there are also subtle
differences, such as the varying markings on the
cheeks. The parted lips and regular teeth are
found on many of the other surviving examples
of this genre. The vessel is in excellent
condition and would make a rare and striking
addition to any collection.
- (AM.0042)
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