Fertility charm in a basket from Lukolela, East Kasai, Democratic Republic of the Congo. The basket is cylindrical in shape. Both the basket and the handle are made of plant fibre. Inside the basket is a collection of cowrie shells and two pieces of knotted fabric. There is also a lump of what is possibly clay, with cowrie shells embedded into the surface. The clay has a length of fabric attached to it. The collection of objects have been stained a dark red/brown.
These objects are only a part of our collections, of which there are more than 350,000 objects. This information comes from our collections database. Some of this is incomplete and there may be errors. This part of the website is also still under construction, so there may be some fields repeated or incorrectly formatted information.
The database retains language taken from historical documents to help research. Please note that some records may feature language and reflect systems of thinking that are outdated and offensive. The database also includes information on objects that are considered secret or sacred by some communities.
If you have any further information about objects in our collections, can suggest corrections to our information or if you see content requiring immediate action, please contact us: enquiry@horniman.ac.uk
