M0012833: Divinatory effigy used by the Yarsi for prognosis of disease, Sierra Leone

Date:
January 1953
  • Archives and manuscripts

About this work

Description

Photograph of a divinatory effigy in the shape of a female figure in black wood, Mendiland, Sierra Leone. This item was acquired by the Wellcome Historical Medical Museum (R4155/1936). The accession register suggests this may have been used by the Yarsi, a women's secret society, primarily for divination and prognosis of disease.

Publication/Creation

January 1953

Physical description

1 photograph
glass plate negative; 12 x 16.5 cm

Related material

Wellcome Collection holds the accession register for the item depicted in the glass plate negative:R4155/1936

Copyright note

Copyright held by Wellcome Collection

Terms of use

Please consult the digitised version as this item is fragile. Email library@wellcomecollection.org to request access to the physical item Open.

Notes

Catalogue data comes from a combination of entries in the original glass plate registers, metadata created when the glass plates were digitised in the early 2000s and enhancements made by the cataloguer in 2022.

Type/Technique

Languages

Where to find it

Location of original

Wellcome Library; GB.
  • Location Access
    Closed stores
    Can't be requested

    Note

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