Rare Lele Divination Instrument, Democratic Republic of the Congo
itoombwa
length 11 1/2in (29cm)
Wood, fiber
Provenance:
Richard and Susan Lee Collection, Washington, collected between 1979-85 while working in Kinshasa on an electrification project
Exhibited:
A Passion for AFRICA: Central African Art, February 19 – March 16, 2008, Archer Gallery, Clark College, Vancouver, WA 98663
Itoombwa or itwoom as called by the Bushoong, are rubbing oracles, usually carved in the form of a quadruped. The figure's flattened back is rubbed with a small wooden peg by the diviner during divination sessions. The present example, with a human face instead of the more common animal face, is very rare.
length 11 1/2in (29cm)
Wood, fiber
Provenance:
Richard and Susan Lee Collection, Washington, collected between 1979-85 while working in Kinshasa on an electrification project
Exhibited:
A Passion for AFRICA: Central African Art, February 19 – March 16, 2008, Archer Gallery, Clark College, Vancouver, WA 98663
Itoombwa or itwoom as called by the Bushoong, are rubbing oracles, usually carved in the form of a quadruped. The figure's flattened back is rubbed with a small wooden peg by the diviner during divination sessions. The present example, with a human face instead of the more common animal face, is very rare.
Estimate:
US$ 2,000 - 3,000
€1,600 - 2,300
£1,300 - 2,000
€1,600 - 2,300
£1,300 - 2,000
Category: Ethnographic Art / African, Oceanic and Pre-Columbian Art
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African, Oceanic and Pre-Columbian Art