Featured Unusual Terracotta Pot/Urn

Hi everyone. I bought this terracotta pot yesterday because it was so unusual. I have never seen another one like it. Does anyone know why it has such a strange shape at the top (a half-circular cut out)? It is terracotta and very large (5ft tall). It appears that it's been painted many years ago and now the paint is peeling off. I would really appreciate some advice as to what it is and the age of it. Many Thanks! Neil Neil

 

It looks like the artisan meant to make it look like a human figure (female), with the wrapped handles serving as "arms", and the wrapping around the "waist". I wonder if there was originally a lid with a head that fit down into the scooped neck.

 

That is the first thought that came to my mind as well 2manybooks !!! .. Joy.

 

Welcome to Antiquers, Neil.
Although the humanoid shape suggests there could have been a lid with a head, I don't see anything inside the neck or rim that points in that direction.
Maybe there were meant to be trailing plants on either side?

 

first,welcome to the forum.i'm thinking about south american/mexican style urn?

 

It looks Mediterranean to me, either side of the Med. But the wrapping (bamboo, rattan?) around the handles and neck looks more Asian. Although I have seen it in Spain as well.
I suspect Neil is in the UK. Neil, where did you find it? Europe (including UK), or the Americas?

The lighter colour is peeling off to reveal the brownish colour underneath, right? Or are my eyes playing tricks on me and is it the other way around?

 

if asia is the region,then i think india will be closer to it.i dont think this style kind of urn come from southeast asia or far east,

 

Hi Everyone and many thanks for the interesting replies and for your kind welcomes. Never thought of the human figure idea! Yes, I am in England and I bought the pot from a man who does house clearance, so I had no history with the pot. But the good news is that I paid very little for it! I have searched the internet endlessly and have not seen another one. Yes Any Jewelry, it has been painted at some time in the past and the paint is flaking away to reveal the terracotta underneath. To me, the build and feel of the pot makes it seem about 40 to 50 years old, but it could be older. It is VERY heavy, it takes 2 people to move it. I would still really appreciate more thoughts. Thanks once again! Neil

 

I've tried to find similar pots but so far I've not seen any though sometimes it's just a matter of finding the right term.

It could be primarily decorative though with it's massive size and unusual neck I really want it to do something. I keep visualizing a trough sort of thing laying across that scoop neck. So (not based on anything real, just in my head) I'm seeing a long bamboo trough, closed on the ends, with a drain hole over the pot to catch rainwater as it drips from the roof. Sort of a rain gutter only sitting on the pot instead of mounted on the roof, attached to a very nice rain barrel.

Ok I'm just making it up but it's what I think every time I look at it.

 

Wow! That's an interesting idea! Many thanks for your input say_it_slowly

 

The more I look at the pot, the more I am thinking African?

 

Maybe North African? That is one of the regions I was thinking of when I said Mediterranean, either side of the Med.
Is the original brown colour a glaze? In that case I think Spain could be a possibility, also because of that rattan(?) wrapping.

 

Thanks for that. I don't think it's Spanish, but maybe you're onto something with North Africa. The original brown colour is bare terracotta, not glazed or treated in any way.

 

Maybe these folks might have some insight.
https://www.tuscanimports.com/

 

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Many thanks for that, wow, that is a massive pot! Will contact them. Thanks, Neil

 

Many thanks for the advice. It does look similar! Thanks, Neil

 

sis is right. These were sold to support a big half cut bamboo pipe, so that you could run water down it as a water feature. The paint is original. 1980s ish and they weren't cheap.

Might be Spanish, you still see similar in terracotta pot shops there.