Power figure
Zombo
![](https://umma.umich.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/90373_ca_object_representations_media_34612_original.jpg)
Description
Subject Matter:
Standing Zombo figures are known to have bags, horns, and nutshells attached to them. A seed pod is affixed to this particular figure. This figure falls into a category of objects which embody a spirit or force—nkisi—that are appealed to for healing and therapeutic purposes; bags, horns, nutshells, seed pods, and the like are receptacles to hold medicine.
Physical Description:
A sculpture of a wooden figure that has been tightly wrapped in layers of cloth and animal skin, concealing the neck, arms and torso of the figure, and secured in place by a plaited fiber. Animal skin binds the legs which stand apart and are slightly flexed at the knees. Around the torso, a cracked-open seed pod is held in place by a piece of wood affixed to the front of the body. The oval shaped head features pierced pupils and a simple coiffure.
Usage Rights:
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