The animal is chosen for its abilities to find something hidden. A dog, for example, is good at sniffing out game and a crocodile can attack swiftly without being seen, so both are good choices. On the sides of the itombwa are intricate patterns, such as chevrons or crosshatches, and on its back is a removable knob that is flat on the bottom. The diviner soaks this knob in oil or water and rubs it on the long, flat back of the itombwa while reciting various possible cures or solutions. When the knob stops moving, the diviner turns the animal upside down. If the knob remains in place, then the cure pronounced at the time it stopped moving is the correct one. People in all cultures adorn their bodies in some way, typically with jewelry, hairstyles, or clothing. In Africa people also adorn their bodies with tattoos, scars, and other body art; they may also reshape their earlobes or lips. Adornment can serve as an expression of beauty and also as an indication of a person's title, age, social status, or membership in an exclusive group.
It may also protect against danger or assure health or success in war. Scarification is the practice of cutting the skin and introducing irritants into the wound to produce a permanent scar. Although rarely practiced today, scarification has a long tradition in many African cultures, and these traditional markings continue to appear on carved statues and pottery figures. Most scars were made on the face, back, chest, or around the navel. Scarification could indicate status or ethnic affiliation, or it could offer protection against harmful spirits. For example, among the Somba people of Benin and Togo, in western Africa, scarification indicated a person's stage in life. An individual received his or her first marks at the age of 14, signifying the transition from childhood to adulthood. In Africa, both men and women adorn themselves with jewelry, which can include earrings, necklaces, armlets, rings, pendants, belts, and bracelets. Jewelry may be made of gold, brass, leather, or ivory, and it may be embellished with beads, feathers, or seeds. Among the Masai, a nomadic people of eastern Africa, belts, beaded earrings, and ostrich feathers indicate the stage a man has reached in life. In the past, a Masai man who had not yet killed a lion would wear ostrich feathers. Both men and women dye cloth and stamp or weave designs into textiles used for clothing.
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