Bidspirit auction | BEMBE TRIBE CALABASH WITH PROTECTIVE

BEMBE TRIBE CALABASH WITH PROTECTIVE FETISH STOPPER - Democratic Republic of Congo, Ca. 19th - 20 th century AD. >A fine calabash vessel in gourd form fitted with a carved wooden stopper in the form of a stylised human figure. The neck is wrapped with coiled fibre and organic materials, while the body is partially covered with feathers. Objects of this type are associated with protective or ritual practices among the Bembe, where containers could hold substances believed to possess spiritual or protective power. > >Size: 110mm x 65mm; Weight: 30g >Provenance: Prince Collection, 1990s-2014; ex Bruce Frank, New York, Mar. 2012. > This item has been cleared against the Art Loss Register database and comes with a confirmation letter. >