Bwende Muzidi reliquary head
In the Bwede tradition, the spirits of the dead called minkuyu reside in fabric reliquaries.
These figures called muzidi highlight the continuity between ancestors and living relatives.
By maintaining the link between the world of the living and that of the dead, the muzidi play an important role in allowing the ancestors to ensure the fertility and protection of the family and the community.
Prayers are offered to heads such as this in the hope that the nkuyu ancestor residing there will reveal what the future holds for the family or communicate the required resolution in a dispute.
02315
Data sheet
- Presumed dating
- 20th c.
- Size
- 19 cm
- Ethnic group
- Material(s)
- Fabric
- Country
- Origin
- Tribal art collection Belgium
- Condition
- Excellent
In the Bwede tradition, the spirits of the dead called minkuyu reside in fabric reliquaries.
These figures called muzidi highlight the continuity between ancestors and living relatives.
By maintaining the link between the world of the living and that of the dead, the muzidi play an important role in allowing the ancestors to ensure the fertility and protection of the family and the community.
Prayers are offered to heads such as this in the hope that the nkuyu ancestor residing there will reveal what the future holds for the family or communicate the required resolution in a dispute.