Medicine man's bag, Democratic Republic of Congo, 1870-1920
- Made:
- 1870-1920 in Democratic Republic of Congo
- maker:
- M'Boio people
Medicine man's bag, containing skull bones of a much feared medicine man of the Congo, M' Boio tribe, Congolese, 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.
Details
- Category:
- Ethnography and Folk Medicine
- Collection:
- Sir Henry Wellcome's Museum Collection
- Object Number:
- A657377
- Materials:
- skull, bones, bag, string, binding, hide, handle, wood, copper and brass
- Measurements:
-
height 362 mm
max: diameter 166 mm
- type:
- human remains and medicine man's outfits
- credit:
- Wellcome Trust
