Ritual whistle "nsiba" · D. R. Congo, Yombe · ID: 3033970
American Private Collection, New York
Description
wood, rich blackish brown patina, in shape of an animal horn with striations at the base, crowned by a small standing figure with snake, head in profile, rep. (right arm, left wrist), on base;
in shape of a whistle. Ritual specialists and diviners use the whistle in their rituals as a tool with which one can communicate with spirits and the dead. The sound it emits is considered to go straight to a supernatural realm.
The object Ritual whistle “nsiba” with the object ID 3033970 was last part of the auction 71st tribal art auction at November 24, 2012 on Zemanek-Münster Auction house. The object with the lot number 458 achieved a sales price of EUR 5,200.
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Comparing literature
Maurer, Evan, Batulukisi, Niangi, Spirits Embodied, Minneapolis 1999, p. 65, ill. 9