157 - PAIR OF CALABASHES - Tanzania, Kenya

PAIR OF CALABASHES - Tanzania, Kenya Mid-20th century. Wood, calabash, beads. Dimensions: 18 cm and 70 cm. Nyamwezi diviner’s gourd: A natural plant-based structure shaped like a pear or hourglass (calabash). The stopper of the vessel is shaped like a stylized head with straight, simplified lines, typical of Tanzanian statuary. A row of beads adorns the area separating the two bulges of the calabash. It has a dark, oily patina from use, reflecting the object’s frequent ritual handling and age. These ritual vessels belonged to diviner-healers. They were used to store herbal powders or elixirs employed in rituals of healing, divination, or community protection. The head carved on the stopper evokes a spiritual guardian protecting the vessel’s contents. Maasai (or Pokot) milk gourd: Hollowed-out calabash, case, and sewn leather carrying straps, small ornaments. Voluminous spherical body topped by a long, slender cylindrical neck. An accompanying flared wooden vessel serves as a cup for drinking milk. Research and documentation: Coryse Mwape – Art historian specializing in ancient African art. Internal ref.: 95/245