Initiation rattle "ntafu mahangu" ·  D. R. Congo, Bakongo · ID: 3038905

Description

wood, spotty, slightly encrusted patina, carved with two figures arranged back-to-back, dam., missing parts (right arm), traces of insect caused damage, traces of abrasion;
this rattle was an emblem for the initiation camps of young boys called “nkimba”. The back-to-back position stands for duality, refers to this world and the world of the spirits. The rattle was affixed on top of a vessel filled with water symbolizing the passage from the world of the living into the world of the dead.

Comparing literature

Felix, Marc L. (ed.), Kongo Kingdom Art, China 2003, p. 107, cat. 2,7