Rare calabash · D. R. Congo, Bwende · ID: 3043120
sold
EUR 2,200
Provenance
Axel Emil Wennerström (1872-1912), Swedish MissionarySize
H: 22,5 cm
H: 8.9 inch
Description
pumpkin, reddish brown patina, with scenic representation, plant fibre cord, min. dam., slight traces of usage, rattan base.
The engravings on the calabash depict a funeral ceremony with “niombo” figure. These large figures are made of textiles and were used as anthropomorphic “coffins"by the Bwende. The corpses are encased in these objects which may reach three meters in height. They were reserved for chiefs and other people of higher rank.
Comparing literature
Reikat, Andrea, Niombo, Begräbnisrituale in Zentralafrika, Köln 1990, p. 82, ill. 64