These Kota figures have large, concave, oval faces with small eyes and no mouth; narrow necks; and open, lozenge-shaped bodies. Wire or thin sheets of brass or copper cover the wooden forms, decorating them and protecting them from decay. The figures are placed above baskets containing the bones and other remains of the dead. These baskets are kept in huts at the edge of the village, into which only designated villagers may enter. Some ceremonial objects serve more personal ends. Such objects can take various forms: statues, bowls, stools, masks, or even staffs and knives. By manipulating one of these objects, the handler may hope to benefit an individual, a group, or a community. For example, in the Baule culture, each man or woman has a spouse in the spirit world. If a person is troubled by his or her spirit-spouse, that person will have a small statue of the spirit carved. Baule spirit-spouse statues have intricately carved hairstyles and patterns across the surface that represent scarification .
A troubled person might try to please her or his spirit-spouse by manipulating the statue, oiling it, clothing it, and adorning it with jewelry. She or he then wraps the statue in cloth and keeps it in the bedroom. Today, female spirit-spouse statues may take the form of a woman wearing a dress, high-heeled shoes, and a contemporary hairstyle, while male statues might wear a suit and tie. Another important African religious practice is divination, which is the art of receiving hidden knowledge or insight from supernatural sources. Diviners attempt to uncover problems, determine their cause, and provide solutions, and they may use objects to aid this process. Some African cultures use artistically rendered objects, while others use parts of animals, such as feathers or horns. In western Africa, the Yoruba people of Nigeria and Benin use a decorated tray for divination. This round, rectangular, or half-moon-shaped board is carved with geometric and animal motifs and one or more images of Eshu, the Yoruba trickster deity, who is thought to deliver messages to and from the spirit world. The divining process begins by covering the board with white chalk. The diviner then throws palm nuts onto the board and interprets the markings they make on its surface. The Kuba people of central Africa use an itombwa, or friction oracle, for divination. This carved wooden object takes the shape of a four-legged animal with an elongated body.
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