Published in the book - "One Half Holds The Sky" by Leslie Lund in 1991 - a book on African Calabashes.
A carved stopper surmounts a calabash or gourd that was filled with
medicine and probably used for divination and the society’s
healing activities.
It was a tradition in Tanzania to finely carve the tops or stoppers of
the containers, which then gave the container more importance.
These functional objects became even
more potent as healing devices when they were combined with feathers and carved heads that may represent ancestor spirits. This one has lots of additions to it like horn, fur and beads.
Height: 9" x Diameter: 5"
Ex. Leonard Kahan Gallery, New York and Ex. Christopher and Genevieve McConnel Collection.