Nyamwese female ancestor figure

Description:	The religion of the Nyamwese peoples of East Africa, like many traditional African religions, focuses upon a creator God and the eternal spirits of deceased ancestors. One central practice involves saying special prayers and making offerings to ancestors. It is believed that when a person dies, their spirit continues on to live in another realm or world. If their spirit is given offerings and treated respectfully, it will remain content and watch over and protect the living. If it is not, it may become unhappy and bring misfortune (bad luck or illness) to the living. Wooden figures like this one are created to represent and to provide a vessel for ancestors to return to the world of the living if they wish. This figure probably represents a female ancestor and would have been placed in a familys home on or near an altar where offerings were made. Things like millet beer and cow dung would have been given as offerings. Traditionally, Nyamwese live as farmers and herders. Like many East African groups, cattle signify wealth. An offering of cow dung refers to the wealth of a family with many cows and to those ancestors who had cattle. The figures hairstyle and clothing are similar to those worn by Nyamwese women. Her heavily smoked scent reveals that she was used in an enclosed space, such as a family home, where a fire was regularly burned.
Source:	http://www.digitalindy.org/cdm/ref/collection/tcm/id/256
Collection:	The Children's Museum of Indianapolis
Rights:	https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/;
Copyright:	Creative Commons (CC By-SA 3.0);
Geography:	Tanzania
Subjects:	Africa, East Tanzania -- Social life and customs Nyamwezi (African people) Rites and ceremonies -- Tanzania Tanzania -- Religion Sculpture Ancestor worship

Further information on this record can be found at its source.