Bamana pestle
Usual objects in African Bamana / Bambara art
An intriguing wooden pestle with a Janus head to the top of the handle. The features of the face are worn from regular use and shows a elongated face with small eyes, long nose and mouth with a large chin, possibly with a beard To the top of the head s a crest type coiffure that falls to the sides in two pony tails. There is traces of pigment to both of the heads. The neck is long and sturdy and ends in a oval pounding surface. Mounted on a custom made stand.
The role of a diviner in many Central African communities is highly specialised and important, and the diviner is often placed at a rank lower than the chief. Their role is to interpret various natural phenomena and come up with solutions to various problems that would afflict individuals and the community, such as illness, infertility, plague and poor harvests. The diviner would have a number of items at his disposal in which to consult with the ancestors, and the use of the pestle was in the preparation of sacred substances. The use of Janus heads on Bamana figures is quite consistent and probably represents the power to look into the spirit world and the human world simultaneously. The head on this pestle most likely represents a deceased diviner whom the living one summons to help.
02065
Data sheet
- Size
- 20,5 cm
- Ethnic group
- Material(s)
- Wood
- Country
- Condition
- Excellent
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Usual objects in African Bamana / Bambara art
An intriguing wooden pestle with a Janus head to the top of the handle. The features of the face are worn from regular use and shows a elongated face with small eyes, long nose and mouth with a large chin, possibly with a beard To the top of the head s a crest type coiffure that falls to the sides in two pony tails. There is traces of pigment to both of the heads. The neck is long and sturdy and ends in a oval pounding surface. Mounted on a custom made stand.
The role of a diviner in many Central African communities is highly specialised and important, and the diviner is often placed at a rank lower than the chief. Their role is to interpret various natural phenomena and come up with solutions to various problems that would afflict individuals and the community, such as illness, infertility, plague and poor harvests. The diviner would have a number of items at his disposal in which to consult with the ancestors, and the use of the pestle was in the preparation of sacred substances. The use of Janus heads on Bamana figures is quite consistent and probably represents the power to look into the spirit world and the human world simultaneously. The head on this pestle most likely represents a deceased diviner whom the living one summons to help.