Puppet figure · Tanzania, Sukuma · ID: 3048381
sold
EUR 700
Provenance
Ralf Schulte-Bahrenberg, Duisburg, GermanyZemanek-Münster, 4 September 2014, Lot 692
Bettina Rübesam, Munich, Germany
Size
H: 68 cm
H: 26.8 inch
Description
wood, cowrie shells, nails, missing parts, base
These figures are said to have been traditionally used in initiation ceremonies.
According to Bessire, they are also said to have been used in Sukuma dance competitions. Two dance groups with large and small puppets (“mabinda” or “maleba”) perform simultaneously. The winner is the one who can attract the largest crowd with the spectacle.
Comparing literature
Aimée Bessire: "At a Safe Distance: Sukuma Dance Figures and the Arousal of Spectacle", in: African Arts, Spring 2005