figure (communication artefact)

Scare-devil. Carved wooden figure, humanoid in shape, with two boar's tusks and a forked tongue protruding from the mouth. The eyes are mother of pearl, and the facial features have been painted with red and black pigments. There are two textile tassels, one red and one cream, hanging from each ear, and the figure wears a red loincloth. The figure stands with one foot in front of the other. The arms are detachable, and when attached are spread out to either side and slightly raised. The arms are inscribed with 'LEFT' and 'RIGHT', and refer to the figure's proper left and right.

A so-called 'scare-devil' would be placed outside the door of a house, to frighten away evil spirits and illness.

object
MUSEUM NUMBER
nn16444
PLACE
COLLECTION
MEASUREMENTS
overall: 1290 mm x 895 mm x 355 mm; overall: 1290 mm x 230 mm x 350 mm
MATERIAL/TECHNIQUE
wood; textile; boar tooth; mother of pearl; paint
CATEGORY
Anthropology: Ethnography
LOCATION
World Gallery > Introduction > Threshold - right
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Collection Information

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