Exchange: F19 Kivelson - HISTORY 196 - WORLD-WIDE WITCHCRAFT: WITCH-BELIEF AND WITCH-HUNTING IN GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE (Object Study Room)

F19 Kivelson - HISTORY 196 - WORLD-WIDE WITCHCRAFT: WITCH-BELIEF AND WITCH-HUNTING IN GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE (Object Study Room)

Iron staff with a circle of 14 small birds surrounding a large, central bird, which is topped by a smaller bird.

Yoruba
Herbalist's Staff
iron
25 4/5 in x 10 ⅝ in x 11 7/16 in (65.56 cm x 26.99 cm x 29.05 cm);6 ⅛ in x 6 in x 6 1/16 in (15.56 cm x 15.24 cm x 15.4 cm)
Gift and partial purchase from the estate of Kurt Delbanco in honor of Nicholas Delbanco

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Horizontally positioned statue in the shape of an animal. The back of the statue is flattened with a slight concave in the middle. The body is decorated with a carved diamond design consisting of intersecting lines. and the tail has a rectangular shape. There is a metal ring wrapped around the neck in addition to multicolored beads. There is also a piece of fiber attached to the neck of the statue with a small bell-shaped wooden piece attached to the end of the fiber.

Kuba
Friction Oracle
wood, metal, glass beads, and cowrie shells
2 15/16 in x 13 3/4 in x 2 1/2 in (7.5 cm x 35 cm x 6.4 cm)
Gift of Dr. James and Vivian Curtis

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Carved wooden human figure attached to an animal's horn. A plug or mushroom shaped projection extends from the human figure's head.

Yaka
Power figure (nkisi)
wood with traces of pigment, animal horn and string
20 7/8 in x 3 7/16 in x 4 15/16 in (53 cm x 8.7 cm x 12.5 cm)
Gift of Dr. James and Vivian Curtis

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This small power figure features a naturalistic human face engulfed in layers of multi-media attachments, which create an imposing visual effect. The figure wears a blue turban wrapped around its head that binds bundles of medicinal substances and is crowned with several feathers. It also dons a metal necklace and a small bone dangles from the arm. The lower body is covered in fiber and a skirt of long leather strips. Possessing eyes encrusted with glass, the figure stands on top of a carved wooden turtle and holds the tip of a curved piece of wood in its mouth, the other end of which terminates in its clutched right hand. A large medicine pack, topped with a round mirror, is affixed to the figure's torso, which is thickly coated with resin and red pigment.

Yombe
Power Figure
wood, mirror, glass, hide, fiber, feathers, resin, pigment, cloth, raffia and bone
18 1/2 in x 17 5/16 in x 15 3/4 in (47 cm x 44 cm x 40 cm);18 1/2 in x 17 5/16 in x 15 3/4 in (47 cm x 44 cm x 40 cm)
Gift of Candis and Helmut Stern

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