Tokoloshe Shetani Devil Ear Spirit Ebony Fetish African Art #10

Description

Tokoloshe ( toe-koe-losh-ee ) Size 9" tall,  3" wide. Piece stands nicely.    Wood is ebony - see below. Hand carved in Tanzania. Told here by a Kenyan master carver that these are Tokoloshe figures. This one is just too abstract to make sense to me.
This piece will be the one that visitors will grab for, and has a great story.
for more authentic African Art view my store catagory AFRICAN ART. (left side this page)
About Ebony - There are several African hardwoods that are BLACK. We tend to refer to any and all black wood as Ebony. This carving may or may not be true Ebony - it is solid black as each piece I cut or drill to ensure is solid black.
These are really cool and sure to be a attention getter.Tokoloshe - Creature that comes out at night to create mischief.  If seen can disappear or turn into a pebble. Place a fetish of a Tokoloshe under "her" bed at night for protection. Classic Africa where few acknowledge "blame", pert near everything is blamed on something abstract, even getting pregnant is not one's fault - it was a Tokoloshe! The reason for the African's grim status blame the chameleon.
Will combine to save on shipping.
Another name: Shetani. According to the Makonde, shetani are creatures that neither human nor animal. They occur in five forms: human, mammal, fish, bird and reptile. Shetani are believed to be still around, though most artist never actually saw one (many claim that their parents and teachers did encounter shetani). The sculptures are often heavily deformed giving it an abstract appearance. A large number of different shetani exist, each with their own purpose and powers (not always evil). There is a contemporary East African shetani cult, and reports of sightings of individual shetani are cyclical, with Popo Bawa panics having occurred in 1995 in Zanzibar and 2007 in Dar es Salaam
art room red