Rare 19th Century Baule Mouse Oracle Vessel w/ Primitive Accents from the Ivory Coast in West Africa. This is a very old piece. The patination on its surface shows that clearly. 1800's or older. Hand carved from a very sturdy wood and decorated with the skulls of two birds (one on each side embedded in the sides) and what looks like an oval section of mirror that is whited out from age on the back. Cowrie shells & patches of hair or fur decorate the top of the lid with cordage and there is a still intact a dyed twine carrying handle. One of the bird skulls has damage as shown in the photos and the old small mirror on the back was long ago cracked as well. That is the only damage noticed. The lid makes a very nice seal to the jar which we would care to say is nice enough to use as a cookie jar. Mouse oracles were used by diviners. A mouse was placed in the upper part with some rice. When the mouse moved, the rice was displaced. The diviners would analyze the changes made by the mouse to make predictions about the future. This is a very rare and interesting piece of functional old African Artistry. It measures approximately 18" tall by 10".

Ancient Authentic