Such containers were traditionally used to cure ailments by various cultures along the coastal region of Tanzania. This particular example with the gourd container secured to a small stool acting as a platform is rare to find.
The carved wooden stopper features a female head with glass beaded eyes. The surface is well used and oily. The body of the gourd container has been beautifully decorated with stands of tiny glass beads which holds a large metal bell to one side and a wrapped fetish bundle to the other. The tiny wooden stool connected to its base is multipurpose, acting as a platform as well as being a symbolic representation of the importance of such a container.
Estimated Period: 1940's - 1950's
Height: 21cm
MNM.IEO
(Click on images to enlarge)
