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109 region of Kisale, reinforcing the idea that they were used in connection with establishing a link with the deceased. According to the original documentation of the object pictured in figure 34, one of the spouts was intended for use by the brewer, the second by the chief, and the third by the deceased. In the northeastern part of the DRC, among the Alur and the Lendu, there were also ceramics with two or four spouts called kurugu, which played a role in cult activities associated with the births of twins (fig. 36). It should be noted that these atypical terracottas come from the border areas of the DRC. Thus the piece in figure 37, for example, known as minwibiri, or “two mouths,” was the property of Burundian diviners. Minwibiri were used primarily to consecrate the beer consumed by diviners, most notably at the kubandwa initiation ceremonies. Minwibiri were not the only ceramics used at the kubandwa. The imposing jar wrapped in umutanga leaves (Lagenaria rufa) seen in figure 38 was the most important terracotta vessel used in the kubandwa. It was called Impângé or Rwambaramitanga (the Great One That Holds Plants) and held the dozens of liters of urwagwa beer that the participants in the initiation consumed. Its foliate crown was not intended to be decorative, but rather its purpose was to “make the pot ritually effective” (Célis and Nzikobanyanka, 1984, 532–534). Fig. 27 (facing page): “Canoe” pot, naengo. Makere, DR Congo. 27 x 31 cm. Collected in the early 1910s by A. Huterau. MRAC, inv. EO.0.0.6001. Fig. 28 (left): Jug, aba. Madi, DR Congo. 25 x 15.6 cm. Collected in the early 1910s by A. Huterau. MRAC, inv. EO.0.0.11082. NOTES 1. The characteristic “marbled” decorations were applied after the ceramics’ second firing. A decoction made from the bark of local euphorbia or sumac bark was placed onto the surfaces of the objects during firing (Pinçon and Ngoïe-Ngala, 1990: 167). The resulting chemical reaction between the mixture and the clay produced the designs. 2. Boat-shaped pots also existed among the Mongelima, who used them as small pitchers for water. Known as belibo, they were also present among the Angba, who called them mbali and used them for palm wine. 3. G. Schweinfurth advanced the hypothesis that the purpose of incised decoration or bas relief on ceramics in the northeastern Congo (particularly those of the Fig. 29 (above): Beer vessel, kede. Bangba, DR Congo. 47 x 32 cm. Collected in the early 1910s by A. Huterau. MRAC, inv. EO.0.0.11799. Fig. 30 (below): Vessel, sango. Mongelima, DR Congo. 20 x 14 cm. Collected before 1911, donated by C. Delhaise. MRAC, inv. EO.0.0.14026.


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