Additional information
| Ethnic Groups | |
|---|---|
| Regions | |
| Primary Materials | |
| Materials |
Kwere Medicine Gourd with Cloth Attachments
Herbalists call upon “the sacred arts of healing, called uganga,” in order to render the spiritually-charged materials contained within these vessels effective (Shangaa: Art of Tanzania, p. 161). Medicine objects like this gourd “serve as all-important vessels” for medicinal and spiritual purposes. The figural stoppers are the symbolic medium through which the spirits work. They also serve as mnemonic devices to differentiate the various medicine-containing gourds an herbalist or patient may have hanging in their home.
18.5″
