Description

Nuna iron fetish figure of a bush cow.
Placed at a personal altar or at the village shrine, the worship of nature spirits, maintains contact with the vital forces of nature.
In forging the figure, the metalsmith used a brazing technique to join the legs and horns to the main body.
Crusty, oxidized patina – Collected in Burkina Faso.

Length: 13,5 cm
Width: 4 cm
Height: 3,5 cm

About the NUNA
The Nuna, a sub-group of the Gurunsi ethnic group, occupy a region in northern Burkina Faso.
They carve large masks that they decorate in colours of red, white and black.
Animal symbolism is important and masks in the the shape such as the buffalo, crocodile, antelope and chameleon are popular.
The Nuna perform rituals for funerals, initiation ceremonies, village purification, divination as well as for the invocation of spirits.
Aside from the sacred village altar where fetishes are placed, personal altar in family dwelling may also contain fetishes.
Fetish figures may be made of wood, iron or other materials such as other metals.
This Nuna iron fetish figure of a bush cow is a fine example of a metal object.
Traditional beliefs and practices, such as ancestor worship, mask rites and sacred objects are still preserved.