Yaka-Suku Slit Drum
Mukoku
Congo
circa 1980
22” tall
Good Condition
single Crack at Sound Box - see photos.
During rites of initiation of a diviner, a chorus of slit-gongs will be sounded as the initiate is led through a series of activities that transform her from an ordinary human to a spiritual agent. Also in divination sessions with a family group or an individual, the diviner will strike the gong with intricate rhythms while calling upon spiritual powers or punctuate statements with a single sharp strike upon the instrument.
Often illness and unexplained deaths are believed to be caused by offended ancestors or neglected deities. The sorcerer identifies the cause of the problem and prescribes a remedy. The wooden mukoku - slit drum is the symbol of the sorcerer but is also used as the sorcerer´s seat and as a container in which to prepare medicines.
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