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Janus Figure for Khosi Cult

Artwork Tombstone
CultureYaka
TitleJanus Figure for Khosi Cult
Date19th–20th century
MediumWood and pigment
DimensionsObject: 21 3/16 × 4 3/8 × 4 11/16 in. (53.8 × 11.1 × 11.9 cm)
Overall: 21 3/16 × 4 3/8 × 4 11/16 in. (53.8 × 11.1 × 11.9 cm)
Credit LineGift of Mr. Raymond E. Britt, Jr., Eskenazi Museum of Art, Indiana University
Accession Number77.98.13
This artwork is currently on view.
Image Forthcoming

This figure was intended to invoke the spiritual realm in order to benefit the living by being used in healing rites intended not only to cure individuals but also punish anyone responsible for causing the illness. Female on one side and male on the other, the figure is covered with red and white pigment–white, the color associated with healing, and red with punishment.

Provenance research is ongoing for this and many other items in the Eskenazi Museum of Art permanent collection. For more information about the provenance of this artwork, please contact the department curator with specific questions.

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Cite this page
"Janus Figure for Khosi Cult | Collections Online." Collections Online. Sidney and Lois Eskenazi Museum of Art, Indiana University, 2025. https://artmuseum.indiana.edu/collections-online/browse/object.php?number=77.98.13