Woman With Cantaro

Former bidjogo sculpture of the island of Carabela, in the archipelago of the Bisago, in Guinea Bissao. In the Bidjogo language this figure is called "orebok" which means spirit and soul of the deceased. The orebok they are consecrated by the king or priestess, before all the people, by the offering of the blood of an ox, a noble animal par excellence for the Bidjogos. This statuette could represent the priestess herself carrying the water of life. To maintain the divine energy of the orebok The priestess honors them every evening by anointing them with palm wine or oil blackened by fire, rekindled daily for this ceremony.

The woman carrying a container over her head is a typical African woman's attitude. Very old figure that retains part of the pigmentation despite the passage of time. Above the vessel there are sacrificial remains which suggests that this vessel contains the materials necessary for the rituals and sacrifices in honor of the ancestor it represents.

This small statue lacks part of its feet and presents sacrificial remains on the head and a marked wear due to the passage of time.