Luguru traditional healers, like other healers throughout Tanzania, used calabash containers to store dried medicines. This container, made from a calabash, still retains medicine inside.
The stopper, which would have been used by the traditional healer as a serving utensil, has been carved into the shape of a human head. The carved head has a pair of white beaded eyes and a coiffure made from fine strands of tiny transparent beads. The calabash container has a braided sisal handle, and is further decorated with nineteenth-century red ‘white heart’ beads.
Estimated Period: Mid-20th Century
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