Half figure "iran otibago" · Guinea-Bissau, Bidjogo · ID: 3053420
South American Private Collection
Zemanek-Münster, Würzburg, Germany, 26 November 2011, lot 149
French Private Collection
Zemanek-Münster, Würzburg, Germany, 4 March 2017, lot 119
Arno Henseler, Munich, Germany
Description
wood, fabric, metal, feathers, pigments, eggshells, base
Spiritually charged cult objects, generally referred to as “iran”, served among the Bidjogo to protect the community and ensure fertility and prosperity. Figures such as these were created in memory of deceased rulers and placed on shrines dedicated to higher spiritual powers. The cylindrical hats depicted were regarded as royal insignia and presumably refer to a ruler of the island of Bubaque who died in the 1940s.
According to Bidjogo belief, the spirit of important deceased individuals lives on in so-called “iran otibago” – wooden ancestral figures that serve as the dwelling place of the soul. Offerings were regularly made to them, particularly before agricultural undertakings as well as during initiations, coronations and funeral ceremonies.
Comparing literature
Schädler, Karl-Ferdinand, Lexikon Afrikanische Kunst und Kultur, München, Berlin 1994, p. 81
Publications
AHDRC: 0138595