Medicine Horns

This is a necklet of made from two horns, containing magical substances, herbs, or medicines. One of the horns has lengths of cotton and leather wrapped around its mouth, and they are attached to each other with plaited fibres. The item is thought to have been used by the Tongo Players, a name given to a group of professional witch finders who were called in to investigate and detect members of the Leopard Society, blamed for a series of murders in Imperri chiefdom in the early 1890s. All Tongo activity was later banned by the British Colonial Government.

Further Information

  • Type: Religious/ritual equipment, charms
  • Object: Medicine Horns
  • Materials: Feather, fur, hair, horn, Leather, animal skin, Textile, Vegetable, organic fibre
  • Culture Group: Mende, Sherbro
  • Dimensions: 180mm
  • Production Date: Unknown
  • Associated Places: Sierra Leone: Sherbro District (Created and collected)
  • Associated People: L. Probyn (Donor); G. W. Page (Collector)
  • Museum: World Museum Liverpool Sierra Leone Collection
  • Accession Number: LIVCM.17.12.10.32

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