Calabash figure "mabwe lugullu"
Eduard Hess, Oberwil near Basel, Switzerland
Description
wood, reddish brown patina, encrusted black paint in some areas, female half figure on disc-shaped base with drilled holes and remains of a fine plaited rotan collar, incised scarification marks on the face and around the navel, cylindrical receptacle on top of the head, min. dam., cracks (left side of the head and base);
the “mabwe lugullu” figure originally surmounted a calabash. It is used for divination by members of the “bugabo” society. Magic derives from a hole for fetish materials on top of the head. The figure is a genre of “nkisi” used in “bugabo”, an association important during early colonial years among eastern Luba and their neighbours. “Bugabo” members specialized in hunting, healing, and combating crime, and the society is remembered for its divination techniques and potent medicines.