Anthropomorphic mortar - Wood - Bena Lulua - Congo DRC

Anthropomorphic mortar Bena Luluwa culture, Democratic Republic of Congo First half of the 20th century Wood and plant fibres Height: 11 - Width: 5 - Thickness: 6 cm Small mortar featuring a squatting caryatid figure, his elbows resting on his knees and his hands placed on the back of his neck, as if supporting the mortar receptacle. His face is marked with geometric scarification at the level of the eyebrows and on the forehead, his ears are C-shaped, his eyes almond and his smile wide. A wooden lid, maintained by a string in woven vegetable fibres, enables to close the mortar. The string is tied to a hollowed-out loop, located behind the figure’s head. This snuff mortar was used on the occasion of divinatory rites.