Wood / Calabash / Metal (Iron) /Braided Fiber Cord

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Hemba Sanza

Southeastern Congo (Zaire)
Hemba

Wood / Calabash / Metal (Iron) /Braided Fiber Cord
Early Twentieth Century

Height: 35 cm (13.7 in); Length/Depth: 19 cm (7.4 in); Width 19 cm (7.4 in)
Idiophone - Plucked - Lamellophone

This hand carved Hemba Sanza, in the form of a female ancestor, comes from Southeastern region of the Democratic Republic of Congo (Zaire). The fins and brackets are made from iron, with expressive carved groove decoration around the edges. On the back is a large calabash used to generate resonance. The artistic style of the Hemba People is very similar to the Luba, who at one time tried to incorporate the Southern Hemba into their kingdom, but were not successful. Diviners play an important part in their cultural practices, which often requires sacrifices and offerings made to ancestral shrines. The Hemba are a matrilineal people. The Diviner may have used this sanza to appease certain ancestors in order to establish balance in the community.

Owner:
Catalog#: AF-IDPL-8-39

http://www.uiowa.edu/~africart/toc/people/hemba.html