Palm wine cup?

Hi again. Found this today. Have no real lead beyond if it's a Central African palm wine cup. Also no idea as to age or authenticity. Thanks for looking!!

 

What is the cup made of? Parts look like ceramic, parts look like wood. It also looks like there have been significant repairs. And where did you get the information that it might be a palm wine cup?

 

Palm wine cup was a guess! Cup is definitely wood. The darker parts do indeed look like repairs, but there's also staining from some liquid having run down it. So I didn't know if that was perhaps just discoloration and not a repair.

 

Well, I think I may have just found a similar one.

https://www.icollector.com/3-of-3-African-Kuba-Anthropomorphic-cup-Democratic_i24089702

 

It does look related to yours, but compared to other Kuba cups I am not convinced that either are genuine (in the sense of having been made by a Kuba carver for their own use). Real Kuba cups have become collectible, and so are likely to be recreated by other carvers, African or otherwise.

 

The Kuba cups I have seen are intricately carved, smooth and with much more perfection in the facial features that this one has.

 

Thanks all--

 

Mine is the size of a pitcher. I found this one. http://ancientpoint.com/inf/191282-..._art_carved_wood_face_jug_pitcher_nr_yqz.html

 

Welcome, @James Desbiens.
Are you saying the cup you have is the same one in the link you have posted, or just similar? If you have one, and have found another, it means there are at least 4 of these things - (the original posted by @Potteryplease, one in a link he posted, yours and the additional one in the link). It also seems that no one knows their actual origin - Kuba, or 19th century plantation folk art? Now I am really curious. If yours is different from the link, can you post pictures, please?

 

Here is the first that I found. About the same height? The forehead is different https://www.pinterest.com/pin/290552613432565632/

 

Here is the other. http://ancientpoint.com/inf/191282-..._art_carved_wood_face_jug_pitcher_nr_yqz.html

This is the second. Mine is a pitcher. Not a cup http://ancientpoint.com/inf/191282-..._art_carved_wood_face_jug_pitcher_nr_yqz.html

 

This is the other. I believe mine is a pitcher not a cup http://ancientpoint.com/inf/191282-..._art_carved_wood_face_jug_pitcher_nr_yqz.html

 

@Potteryplease - I realize you no longer have this object, but thought it might be helpful to record some more information here in case another one ever turns up. I just saw this listing for a similar cup/pitcher on Africa Direct, a site specializing in African arts. They attribute it to the Shi (plural Bashi) people in the Democratic Republic of Congo -

https://africadirect.com/products/shi-bashi-portrait-pitcher-with-handle-congo-145796

Since their information may disappear if the item is sold, I will quote it all here -

"Description

The Shi, also known as Bashi, are an ethnic group residing in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. They share borders with neighboring ethnic groups such as the Lega, Nyindu, Havu, and Vira. While there is limited information available about the Shi culture and their art, a few artifacts including masks and wooden pitchers have been attributed to them.

The wooden pitcher served a practical purpose in the Shi community. It was used for serving local wine or beer, as well as ritual drinks. In many cultures, vessels like pitchers hold symbolic significance and may be associated with communal gatherings, ceremonies, or religious practices.

Since there is limited information about the Shi people's artistic traditions, it is challenging to provide specific details about their artistic style or the cultural context in which these artifacts were created and used. However, it's important to acknowledge that the artistic expressions of any ethnic group are influenced by a wide range of factors, including social, religious, and historical contexts.

This item does not stand up on its own.

Height (In) 9.5
Width (In) 7.5
Depth (In) 6.0

145796

Approximate Age: 20th Century
People: Shi (Bashi)
Country of Origin: Democratic Republic of the Congo"

 

These threads live on as repositories of useful info. Thanks for adding @2manybooks.

 

that's why it's vital that this site stay up and stay active........ the loss of the info here would be ........... I don't have the words...