Mbëlëkët, Ëlëk, a-Tshol, or Ñach (Shrine Figure)

Images(3)

Mbëlëkët, Ëlëk, a-Tshol, or Ñach (Shrine Figure)

Artist Nalu or Baga artist

Date19th or 20th century

MediumWood

Dimensions13 3/4 x 11 1/2 x 6 1/2 in. (34.9 x 29.2 x 16.5 cm)

ClassificationsWood

Credit LineGift of the Hanes Corporation

Object numberGL.72.19.33

On View

On view

Label Text
Shrine figures of this type are known among the Nalu as mbëlëkët, or ëlëk, and among the northern Baga as a-Tshol, each meaning “medicine,” though varied terms have been used to identify shrine figures. In its original context, a mbëlëkët/a-Tshol, controlled by the eldest male in a family, would symbolically represent the family lineage. As a shrine object, it would provide protection against sorcery and was used in rituals of healing, divination, and the pursuit of justice. On certain sacred occasions, it might also be danced. According to the Baga, the a-Tshol took control of the dancer’s movements, enabling him to balance the unwieldy figure, which sat unsecured atop his head.
Published References"Acquisitions," North Carolina Museum of Art Bulletin 12, nos. 1 and 2 (December 1973), group of objects on long-term loan listed 68.Exhibition HistoryRaleigh, NC, North Carolina Museum of Art, "African Sculpture from the Hanes Corporation," February 11-August 15, 1972.

Greensboro, NC, Weatherspoon Art Gallery, September 9-30, 1973.

Raleigh, NC, North Carolina Museum of Art, "The People's Collection Reimagined" (Thematic Gallery: "Devotion and the Arts in the People's Collection"), June 7, 2025-present. Object Rights Statement

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