Initiation rattle "ntafu mahangu" · D. R. Congo, Sundi · ID: 3043488
sold
EUR 2,000
Provenance
Philippe Laeremans, Brussels, Belgium (1998)American Private Collection, New York
Size
H: 35,5 cm
H: 14.0 inch
Description
wood, dark brown patina, remains of kaolin, grass fibres, the actual rattle elements missing, min. dam., insect caused missing parts, fine cracks, slight traces of abrasion, base.
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
Dulon, Bernard et. al., Oggetti e ritmi, Roma 1980, p. 53, ill. 41
Publications
AHDRC: 0021312