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Jen-bata Reliquary
Fragment
17th / 18th century
Jen - Nigeria
Height: 20cm
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This
piece is a Jen or Bata soul vessel. Since ancient times, a number of
different ethnic groups in northeastern Nigeria bury their dead twice. In
the period between the two burials (several months to one year) a soul
vessel is produced to lock up the dead person’s soul so that it can not
wander and cause harm. Von Uechtritz and Passarge brought the first
vessels and fragments of this type to Europe in 1894. These soul vessels
"kusson" had simple pot shaped bodies with hollow tubular arms
and a rather baroque or mannerist head. Their provenance was given as
"Jen", a small group of around 20,000 people. They are a
sub-group of the Bata-Bachama living North of the upper Banue. This piece
was excavated in the 1970s. It is centuries old. Jen pieces are
rare. Some black incrustations at top are sign of its reliquary use.
20cm.
Jen
pieces are not often seen on the market 1000
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