Pseudo Vessel Mbirhlen’nda
Ga'anda, Gongola Valley, Nigeria
Terracotta
19th / 20th century

Mbirhlen’nda vessels typically take their position in the center of shrine enclosures directly facing their entrances. In cases where local shrines had collapsed, some Mbirhlen’nda vessels were rescued and placed in rock clefts where they could assume their protective positions.

Some Mbirhlen’nda had the specific role of protecting against the devastation of Shuuta, one of several destructive forces of nature capable of retaliating against people who perform harmful deeds. When provoked, Shuuta “moves across the sky like a whirlwind,” unleashing powerful winds, and destroying whatever lies in its path. Shuuta’s threat is formidable because its destruction victimizes more than just those who are its offenders. Mbirhlen’nda is the one spirit capable of protecting against Shuuta’s revenge and regular offerings made to Mbirhlen’nda help immunize the adjacent community against danger (Berns, African Terra Cottas. A Millenary Heritage, musée Barbier-Mueller and Somogy, 2008).

26 in :: 66 cm

InventoryID #13-1048

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