The faces look ancient Egyptian, like Bes, the god who aids women during childbirth and is the protector of children. The painting of the crown is a little strange and the ears are a bit reminiscent of Hathor, the cow goddess of love. Bes usually has a beard too, but this still so strongly resembles him, that I think it is very much worth looking into. The protruding tongue is very typical of Bes and the face has the classic look of him.
It has been illegal to transport Egyptian antiquitites out of Egypt since about the turn of the century. But prior to that, tons of antiquities came over as souvenier pieces. I'm not sure if yours could be the real deal or not. Most often, a large vessel like this would have been an offering jar that would have been smashed at a temple after the offering was made. However, it could have survived if it was a vessel that was in a tomb, as most of the antiquities around were.
I suspect this will turn out to be a repro but if it were mine, I'd contact an expert in Egyptian antiquitites. I can give you the contact of the curator of the Rosecrutian Egyptian Museum here in San Jose CA which has an extensive collection. I think she could at least tell you if this vessel should be examined in person or if I am completely off-base with this.
This is Bes: