Moba Shrine Figure Togo on Stand

The Moba live in the north of Togo spreading over into the area of Burkina Faso and a few in the north of Ghana. Figures known as "tchitcheri sakab," are prescribed by diviners to be placed on shrines serving individuals, clans and villages. Representing clan ancestors (sakab means old man/person ) figures were placed in shrines known as tingban, dedicated to the earth. The figures range in size and larger examples are often buried up to their waists in the earth by the shrine. They would often be given the names of ancestors and sometimes dressed or given miniature farming tools to hold.Carved out of light colored wood, Moba figures are highly abstracted with no facial features and minimal sexual identity with rudimentary male and female genitalia indicated. There is no indication of figure carving among the Moba over the last century.One is reminded of the figure found among the Lobi where they are also buried in the ground by family shrines.

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