{"product_id":"songye-katatora-divination-oracle-congo-rohner-collection-157317","title":"Songye Katatora Divination Oracle Congo Rohner Collection","description":"\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe Songye people of the Democratic Republic of the Congo are celebrated for their cultural traditions, notably their use of divination rituals. Central to this practice is the Katatora, a circular wooden ring embellished with an intricately carved face representing a spiritual entity or ancestor. Guided by a diviner known as the Nganga, the Katatora serves as a conduit between realms, aiding in communication with the spirit world. During divination, the Nganga holds the Katatora, focusing their energy on interpreting messages and guidance conveyed by the spiritual entity. This intricate process involves rituals and incantations, with the Nganga deciphering symbolic language to provide counsel. Revered for its significance, the Katatora divination oracle is esteemed among the Songye, offering guidance, resolution, and insight into personal and communal matters through its connection to ancestral wisdom and the spirit world.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eProvenance: John R. Rohner Collection\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cu\u003e\u003c\/u\u003e\u003cu\u003e\u003c\/u\u003e\u003c\/i\u003eRohner, a museum curator for decades, aimed his practiced eye for authenticity to African art beginning in the early 1980s. His passion for this art only grew through the decades he built his collection––always with an aim for a broad and representative array of pieces. The collection appears in his book, \u003ci\u003eArt Treasures from African Runners\u003c\/i\u003e (2000, University Press of Colorado). \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eItem #497 on pg. 205\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHeight (In): 6.5\u003cbr\u003eWidth (In): 3.5\u003cbr\u003eDepth (In): 2.5\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003e157317\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"sku 157000","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52175756558631,"sku":"157317","price":85.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0826\/1015\/9911\/files\/IMG_1949_a91b0697-be6e-42da-9a8b-fa238bcdf38b.jpg?v=1790356814","url":"https:\/\/africadirect.com\/products\/songye-katatora-divination-oracle-congo-rohner-collection-157317","provider":"Africa Direct","version":"1.0","type":"link"}