Hands and Bodies, Unsigned Studio Pottery Vessel felted wool Late-ish 19th century I believe

Late-ish 19th century I believe

The back of the envelop with tape cross at center is pretty great looking too

A friend and fellow antiques dealer was expressing to me just the other day his enamourment with smoke decorated objects

" with carefully drawn squares next to them for checking

from the Democratic Republic of Congo

Hands and Bodies, Unsigned Studio Pottery Vessel felted wool Late-ish 19th century I believeI'm thinking this vessel likely once had a lid, which perhaps also functioned like a small tumbler the tapering of the top and undecorated area on one side seems to suggest that. But I have a feeling it's better this way anyway just a pure field of hands and silhouetted bodies interrupting each other in a sort of endless dance of stop and go (or Mother May I?) The only punctuation are two unpainted hands in low relief 3 4 of the way down either side;