Mémoire d’Afrique — Ref. 142
Toma ritual pot — Toma, Guinea — African tribal art — Ref. 142
Description
This carved wooden pot, 58 cm high, comes from the Toma people and rests on a tripod base adorned with stylised human faces. It is topped by a finely carved lid, crowned with a raised element. The geometric and wavy motifs that decorate it recall the aesthetic codes of ritual objects associated with the Poro society, a major Toma initiatory institution governing spiritual and social life.
Used in a ritual context, this pot probably served to preserve sacred substances, such as medicinal herbs, relics or offerings dedicated to spirits and ancestors. Its use in initiatory ceremonies gave it symbolic value, reinforcing the connection between initiates and protective spiritual forces.
Carved from dense wood and patinated by time, it shows marked traces of use, with abrasions and a deep patina, attesting to its age and prolonged ritual use.
Technical details
- Type of piece
- Mobilier
- Category
- Traditional furniture
- Ethnic group
- Toma
- Country
- Guinée
- Materials
- wood
- Dimensions
- H 58 × W 19 × D 19 cm
- Weight
- 3,9 kg
- Estimated dating
- second half 20th c.
- Laboratory test
- Not tested
- Reference
- 142