Makonde (Wamakonde), Tanzania and Mozambique

Ceremonial Stool. The Makonde numbering 500,000 are a matrilineal people who are located on both sides of the Ruvuma River, which forms the border between Tanzania and Mozambique. In the traditional homelands of the Makonde the primary source of food comes from slash and burn farming. Crops include maize, sorghum, and cassava. This is often supplemented by hunting. Important decisions are made by a chief supported by a council. Clan members meet only for the ancestral cult and to celebrate initiations. The Makonde believe in a world of ancestor spirits and in malevolent spirits who make an appearance during the ceremonies that close initiation rites; these rites are deemed very important. According to legend, shortly after the Creation, the first man, wandering around outside the bush, sculpted a female figure out of wood, and the statue became a real woman who gave him many children and, after her death, became the venerated ancestress of the Makonde. The stools of this type are used in various ceremonies, in particular in initiation rites. The woman caryatid is a protective female ancestor figure.

Material:  wood

Size:  H. 18”, W. 9”, D. 10”