December 11, 2007, Musée Nationale, Lomé, Togo

Iron and forge exhibit

Musical instruments:

A. Tambour d’aiselle of the griots (two membranes)

1. Kebyè (Kara region) for celebrations and funerals

2. Tem (Central region) and all over the country

B. Tambour “Akrema” (Central region) for funerals and messages

C. Tambour “Kamou” – made with clay pot (Kara region)

Alam, white crystal to purify water (like stone I bought in Dakar)

Divinité lagunaire with three heads, sculpted in wood, protects and punishes adepts according to their behavior, believed Guins — called “densou” (Maritime region)

Fecundity god statue “Adbamkena” (Maritime region), wood sculpture, bearded man with large phallus drooping over crossed leg, smoking twisted pipe and holding key in left hand and cleaver in right hand that seems to cleave a small head with extended tongue, seated on stool

Adept of the serpent “Da”, wood sculpture, woman seated on on stool with prominent breasts holding serpent in left hand with serpent’s head extending above her head and tail wrapping around her neck and raised right wrist, wearing two silver bracelets on right wrist and silver earrings in both pierced ears

Deceased twin statues, wood sculpture, about six inches tall, some with white cloth dress tightened with cord around neck, Éwé and Guin peoples (Maritime region)

Adept of “Voudon”, Éwé (Maritime region), two feet tall wood, holding what looks like a club with a metal piece in left hand and what looks like a double-headed candelabra with four holes in the rear and three in front in right hand (see drawing in journal) (later learned represents thunder god)

Ritual pots with cones called “Koubacou” used by Bassar (Kara region)

Some pots believed inhabited by spirits of twins and the elderly for example by the Nawdba (Kara region) and Kabyè where one type called “n’taaka”

Pots for serving beer called “pew”, Kabyè (Kara region)

Slavery exhibit as well — not that extensive