Cantaro

Mambila · Cameroon

Reference: TRRC-1

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Height
50 cm
Material
Cooked clay

Coming from the Cameroonian border with Nigeria this pitcher is several centuries old, probably from the centuries XIV a XVI Because of its size it does…

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Full original description

Coming from the Cameroonian border with Nigeria this pitcher is several centuries old, probably from the centuries XIV a XVI Because of its size it does not seem to have been destined for divinatory practices, but rather it seems an element of ornamentation in the palace of some king, or remarkable mambila, as the relief drawings that adorn the body of the vessel seem to prove. The handles, possibly arm-shaped, have been prey to time. For a more accurate dating it would be necessary to undergo a thermoluminescence test. It is one of the first known manifestations of mambila art. His pronounced lips and the budding eyes are characteristic of the pottery of this ethnic group over the centuries. This vessel demonstrates the techniques so perfected of pottery that they already possessed in centuries past.

Further technical information
Width
21 cm
Attributed period
Century XIV a XVI

Details transcribed from the original catalogue; they are not a recent physical inspection.

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Cameroon. The country associated with the catalog is shown, not the current location of the piece.

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Attributions, dates and accounts come from the preserved catalogue. They do not constitute certification of authenticity or provenance. An object’s presence on this website does not mean it is available for sale.

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