Southeastern Democratic Republic of Congo
Hemba

Wood, metal-iron, calabash, fiber cord
Early-Mid 20th Century
Length: 13.75 in, Width: 7.5 in, Depth: 7.5 in
Idiophone – Plucked – Lamellophone

This hand carved anthropomorphic  Hemba sanza, in the form of a female ancestor, comes from southeastern region of the Democratic Republic of Congo (Zaire).  The fins and brackets are made from iron and the wooden resonator box is hand carved with geometric groove decoration around the edges with a hole in the back.  Attached to the back of the resonator box is a large calabash used to generate more resonance.  Over time, these calabashes/gourds get broken/cracked.  The artistic style of the Hemba People is very similar to the Luba, who at one time tried to incorporate the Southern Hemba into their kingdom, but were not successful. Diviners play an important part in their cultural practices, which often requires sacrifices and offerings made to ancestral shrines. The Hemba are a matrilineal people.  Diviners possibly used these sanzas to appease certain ancestors in order to establish balance in the community.

Info source: http://www.uiowa.edu/~africart/toc/people/hemba.html