Lidded Container
Mid–late 19th century
Attributed to Unobhadule (active mid- to late 19th century) Northern Nguni KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa Eastern and Southern Africa
South Africa
The use of this container with its graceful ovoid form and incised linear pattern is unclear. It may have served as a prestige object for a high-ranking member of society—for instance, providing a place to store tobacco in honor of guests and ancestors on festive and ritual occasions. Recent scholarship suggests that it may have been made explicitly for sale to a foreign client, tourist, or resident.
Wood