Bellows surmounted by human head
Tabwa
Description
Wooden bellows surmounted by the carving of a human head are common among blacksmiths of the Tabwa people. Bellows are used to fan the furnace during the smelting of ore. The success of the process is seen as magic, while the process itself resembles a birth, the furnace taking the form of female sexual organs, and the bellows shaped like male genitals.
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