Throughout the Penn Museum collection there are objects known as effigy vessels. These vessels are found in countries ranging from Mexico to Africa – but what exactly IS an effigy vessel? Commonly, they are defined as containers that are sculpted in the likeness of a human or an animal.
The one pictured above originated in Zaire from the Mangbetu culture. Like most effigy vessels it is ceramic. It is also anthropomorphic, representing a person with an elongated skull and a “swept-up” hair style.
Penn Museum Object #AF5360
See this and other objects like it on Penn Museum’s Online Collection Database