Slot Bell

Moba · Togo

Reference: IDIOF-14

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Height
33 cm
Material
IRON

Bells and bells, both metallic and wooden, besides having their use in playful and religious ceremonies are a valuable instrument used by the fortune teller to…

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Full original description

Bells and bells, both metallic and wooden, besides having their use in playful and religious ceremonies are a valuable instrument used by the fortune teller to determine the cause of a disease or a problem. This iron bell has the virtue of awakening the powers of the hereafter that once established in contact with this world will help the diviner in his predictions thus serving to mark the divinatory rhythms.

They are also employed by the healers, who are usually the same fortune tellers, to call the spirits to channel their forces over the sick and help them locate the origin of the evil, which are often foreign bodies that have entered the sick causing their sufferings. Once located the healer will remove and throw away these strange objects, rusty nails for example or powdery, and the patient will recover his health.

Iron bell with a groove along the entire back. It is held with one hand and hit with the other with a wooden or metal stick according to the sound you want to get. The different tones are obtained percussing in different places. Patina obtained over time.

Further technical information
Width
4 cm
Attributed period
Mid-century XX or earlier.

Details transcribed from the original catalogue; they are not a recent physical inspection.

Country on the map

Togo. The country associated with the catalog is shown, not the current location of the piece.

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Attributions, dates and accounts come from the preserved catalogue. They do not constitute certification of authenticity or provenance. An object’s presence on this website does not mean it is available for sale.

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