Zambia
Mbunda

Wood and calabash
Mid 20th Century
Length: 12 inches
Idiophone – Struck Indirectly – Shaken -Rattle

Figural Mbunda rattle with carved wooden handle and designed punctured holes in the gourd.  The Mbunda were originally from Angola, and one can find Angolan elements in their masks, primarily those of their old neighbors, the Chokwe. The rarity of Mbunda masks can perhaps be explained by the fact that, after centuries of persecution by the Luchazi people as well as the Portuguese, they fled during the Mid 20th century from their old Angolan homelands into Zambia. They have since allied themselves with the Lozi, thus their ceremonial practices have grown less pure.

Source:  Africa Direct – Mbunda (africadirect.com)