Kota (Akota, Bakota, Kuta), Gabon and Republic of Congo

Ceremonial Rattles. The land of the Kota, numbering some 75,000, is situated in the eastern part of Gabon, extending slightly into the Congo Republic. The Kota are actually a number of groups of peoples with common cultural traits. Ancestor worship formed the core of the family group’s religious and social life. At the death of a chief, the initiates would take from the body of the deceased various relics, which were then decorated with metal and rubbed with powders of multiple magical powers. Kota rituals allied to ancestor cults aimed to honor illustrious deceased members of the lineage, but also would carefully keep them out of reach of other villagers. These kinds of rattles were used during ceremonies related to the ancestral cult named bwete. The bwete was called on in time of crisis to combat unseen agents of harm. Its intercession was sought in such vital matters as fertility, success in hunting, and in commercial ventures.

Material: wood, yellow metal sheeting, basketry, vegetable fiber

Size: 12½”x 7”x 3”