Among the many others used throughout the initiations, this African sculpture featuring a head surmounting a conical bust belonged to an initiate of the Bwami. Shaded brown patina, lustrous. Abrasions and cracks. The teacher guided the aspirant to a place where masks and statuettes were displayed, and it was through careful observation that the future initiate had to guess the more or less complex meaning of the metaphors evoked by the sculptures, the latter referring largely to proverbs and sayings. Those who were not allowed to see the object, in order to be protected from it, had to undergo costly ceremonies, and sometimes even join the lower rank of the Bwami, the kongabulumbu ,at great expense to the families. Each of these initiations took place over seven days and involved at least seven performances. Objects "won" individually were then kept in a woven bag worn on the shoulder, in a basket for those won collectively. The " Masengo" objects of the Bwami ("powerful things")frequently show missing parts, perforations, or abrasions of the wood, due to ritual removals in order to resort to medicine. A decoction composed of the particles mixed with water was then administered to the patient.(Biebuyck 1976)
Non disponible pour le moment Possibility of payment in 2x (2x 90.0 €) This item is sold with its certificate of authenticity
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