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, live in northern Burkina Faso.
They are best known for their striking carved masks, which artisans paint in bold red, white, and black pigments.

Animal symbolism plays a central role in Nuna culture. For this reason, mask forms often depict buffalo, crocodiles, antelopes, and chameleons, each carrying specific spiritual meanings. Moreover, the Nuna use masks during funerals, initiation rites, village purification ceremonies, divination practices, and spirit invocations.

In addition to sacred village altars, Nuna families maintain personal household altars that hold powerful fetishes. Artisans create these fetish figures from wood, iron, and other metals, depending on their ritual purpose. This Nuna iron fetish figure of a bush cow exemplifies the strength and symbolism of metal ritual objects.

Today, the Nuna continue to preserve their traditional beliefs and practices, including ancestor veneration, mask ceremonies, and the use of sacred objects.