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Collections

Unknown
Friction oracle (itombwa or itoom)late 19th or early 20th century

Not on view
Carved wooden object in the form of a crocodile with incised geometric patterns, dark gray-black wood, bound with braided rope around a central knob
Carved wooden zoomorphic stool or platform in the form of a four-legged animal with a pointed snout, dark patinated surface with incised crosshatch texture, bound with twisted fiber cord tied around a central conical projection on top.

Unknown, Friction oracle (itombwa or itoom), late 19th or early 20th century, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Gift in memory of Mary "Polly" Nooter Roberts, photo © Museum Associates/LACMA

Artist or Maker
Unknown
Title
Friction oracle (itombwa or itoom)
Culture
Kuba or neighboring peoples
Place Made
Africa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Date Made
late 19th or early 20th century
Medium
Wood, fiber
Dimensions
3 3/4 × 10 3/4 × 1 3/4 in. (9.53 × 27.31 × 4.45 cm)
Credit Line
Gift in memory of Mary "Polly" Nooter Roberts
Accession Number
M.2018.261.3
Classification
Sculpture
Collecting Area
African Art