Soul Container (Eraminhô)
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Object Label
Eraminhô are repositories for the souls of the dead. According to Bijagó beliefs, a person’s soul lives on after the body, but only as long as it is remembered by the person’s family. Thus it is necessary to create a repository for the soul and to provide it with sacrifices.
Caption
Bijagó. Soul Container (Eraminhô), late 19th or early 20th century. Wood, earth, crushed plant materials, copper alloy chain, sacrificial materials, 14 1/2 in. (36.8 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Ruth R. Gross, 71.176.4. (Photo: Brooklyn Museum)
Gallery
Not on view
Collection
Gallery
Not on view
Collection
Culture
Title
Soul Container (Eraminhô)
Date
late 19th or early 20th century
Geography
Place made: Bijagós Islands, Ihla de Orango Grande, Guinea-Bissau
Medium
Wood, earth, crushed plant materials, copper alloy chain, sacrificial materials
Classification
Dimensions
14 1/2 in. (36.8 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of Ruth R. Gross
Accession Number
71.176.4
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