Mboko (Female Cup Bearer), 19th century, 11 5/16 x 4 3/4 x 6 1/2 in. ( x x cm) (including attached base), Wood, Democratic Republic of the Congo, 19th century, Among the Luba, diviners act as mediators between the spirit world and the living, using a mixture of white kaolin clay and medicinal herbs as part of their practice. This substance is stored a figure like this one, called a mboko. They are carved in the shape of a female figure because the Luba believe that women have a special connection to the spirit world, based on their sacred power to bear children.

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Photo credit: © Penta Springs / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

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