This finely carved double-figurative fly whisk handle depicts a porter carrying an adult female figure on their shoulders. The ceremonial act of carrying a high-ranking person into the village on one's shoulders was a custom performed by various cultures along the Tanzanian coast.
This custom also applied to young girls undergoing initiation ceremonies, illustrated in Doe, Kwere and Makonde figurative sculptures and staffs depicting a female figure sitting on the shoulders of a male porter.
Ex Private Collection, London
Estimated Period: Mid-20th Century
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