Protective figure "bateba duntundara"

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Description

wood, pigments, base

Female figures whose heads are conspicuously turned to the side and which also show the belly of a pregnant woman with a particularly emphasised navel are often part of a male-female pair of figures.

These figures belong to the group of “bateba duntundara”, which are supposed to protect their owners from witches and evil spirits.

“Duntundara” can be found in a broad range of representations, including figures that gesture dramatically or feature unusual physiological characteristics such as multiple heads or arms.

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Comparing literature

LaGamma, Alisa, Art and Oracle, New York 2000, p. 61 f.

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