Medicine man's bag, Democratic Republic of Congo, 1870-1920
This reliquary from the Ogowe River Basin in Gabon in Africa contains the bones and relics of a venerated ancestor who was said to be a much feared traditional healer – once referred to as a ‘medicine man’ – of the M’Boio tribe. At times of need a community might bring together all its reliquaries in the belief that their combined power would offer greater protection against an ongoing or expected danger, such as disease.
Object number:
A657377
Related Themes and Topics
Glossary:
Glossary: human remains
term created as part of the NMSI human remains policy (from April 2007); Other terms used are 'blood' and 'human hair'
Glossary: reliquary
No description.
Glossary: medicine man
No description.
Glossary: bag - container
No description.