This is the rating and price for Fon Tribal Ritual Voodoo Wooden Fetish Figure

Description : A voodoo figure sculpture from the Fon tribe in Benin-The Fon and their Spirit World-Most members of the Fon tribe originate from the ancient kingdom of Dahomey which was located on the west coast of Africa in modern day Benin. Here Vaudou, or Vodun as organizers spell it, was a kind of state religion and pillar of royal power which says the world is filled with invisible yet potent spirits. Through the slave trade of the 17th and 18th centuries, this cult was brought to the Caribbean where it shed the fetishes and absorbed Christian elements.The bocio, or ''empowered corpse'' in the language of the Fon, is a fetish piece believed to function as a mediator between the visible world and the spirit world. The most common of these pieces is the bla-bocio, whose surface has been tightly bound with cord, chains, animal hide, or other wrapping materials. The way in which the figure is bound can have a positive or negative effect on the subject. Neck bindings caused speechlessness, chest bindings led to suffocation, and lower abdomen bindings brought about impotence. Conversely, pregnant women could wear cords around their hips as protection against miscarriage. Fetishes of another type feature holes into which pegs or pins are inserted. Depending on the incantation, the pegs could promote well-being, or inflict memory loss and asphyxiation. a number of fetishes have two heads or other physical abnormalities. Some are covered with clay, shells, bones, or a layer of sacrificial blood, each having a unique magical significance.In 1972, Benin president and true believer of Marxism Mathieu Kerekou declared war on Voodoo. Afraid of falling victim to magical spells himself, he appointed a wizard as ''People's Commissar for Fetish Cultures.'' This war proved as unsuccessful as most other wars on cultural ideologies, however it did lead to the destruction of many fetish pieces, making the surviving pieces that much rarer.This exquisite piece features heavy wear throughout from frequent ritual use. The exterior has varied encrustation with feathers, blood, and egg shell, as well as deterioration from the elements.Provenance:These pieces were collected over a period of several decades out of collections from America and throughout Europe, including France, Germany, Belgium and Amsterdam beginning in the early 1960s. The items in this collection have been identified by George Mack, former director of the Arizona African Art Museum.Add this incredible piece to your collection today!Piece has varied encrustation from ritual use and deterioration from the elements. The piece is in overall in good condition for its age.
Price: 118.00 USD It's free to register now to view!
Estimate (low-high) : 400 USD-800 USD It's free to register now to view!

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