Zigua People, Tanzania

In the Bantu languages, such as Swahili, people from the Zigua tribe in Tanzania are called Wazigua, while a single person from that tribe is called Mzigua.  Most scholars believe that the Wazigua are the founders of Goshaland, a safe haven for runaway slaves.  The Zigua are best known in the art world for their rare "mummy" fetishes.  A figure is carved from a single selection of hard wood then carefully wrapped around in strips of material by the village spiritualist.  The bands of material are saturated with a secret magical liquid substance which is allowed to harden into the strips.  This fetish is believed to protect the owner from malevolent spirits; a well-known enemy of the owner or a person that the owner secretly knows could harbor ill will towards him or her.  These figures are armless because their power comes from their spiritual strength which they use in the manipulation of magical powers.

Dimensions: 11 X 3.5 X 3 inches

Stand included