Within the known examples of these rare lidded vessels are a number of variations, most likely the result of different carvers producing the same genre of object. One such style includes vessels such as the present example, which are encircled by an elaborate external framework. These have three or four U-shaped uprights that stand away from the body, connecting to its top and lower end just below the lid and above the legs. These could be read as four human figures, their ‘heads’ butting the container where they join and their legs bent so that the container rests on their ‘knees.’ The horizontal ring becomes an analogy for linked, encircling, arms. This particular style has either three or four legs with one, and sometimes two, horizontal rings as part of the frame around the vessel body. Their entire surface, including the framework and lid, is covered with a parallel ridged and grooved design.

This vessel is very similar to three held at the Johannesburg Art Gallery (JAG) and one in the Museum of Natural History in Lille, France, collected prior to 1850. These five examples are alike in size, design and decoration, and there are some differences such as the shape of the lid, and the length and number of the legs. However, lidded vessels come in a wide range of shapes and sizes. An example with two top openings rather than one, each capped with a lid, is held by the British Museum. It was bequeathed in 1865 by English banker and collector Henry Christy and there is a strong possibility he bought it from the 1862 International Exhibition in London. A notable example is also held in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York (2013.165a, b) that has the familiar superstructure with four legs, matching uprights and one ring encircling its body. However, it is different to the previous examples in that its body is more upright, with a hemispherical lid and lower end so that it resembles a capsule. It is topped with a semi-circular handle as part of its lid.

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