Ugandan Milk Vessel

This unusual, tapered vessel is a milk-pot of the Bantu peoples of eastern Africa, and would have been used for storing and churning cow's milk. Carved from a single block of wood and then darkened, the milk vessel has an elegant form, with sloping sides and a rounded base. A single band of grooves provides subtle decoration to the sides and a finely woven lid fits loosely over the opening to keep out flies. The bottle-form vessel would have been used within the home, always filled with rich milk in case of a visitor or a special occasion.