Tongo Society Bag

This is a cotton bag, containing magical substances, or charms. It is thought to have been used by the Tongo Players, a name given to a group of professional witch finders who were called in to investigate and detect members of the Leopard Society, blamed for a series of murders in Imperri chiefdom in the early 1890s. All Tongo activity was later banned by the British Colonial Government.

Further Information

  • Type: Containers, vessels, Religious/ritual equipment, charms
  • Object: Tongo Society Bag
  • Materials: Metal, Textile, No Data / Other
  • Culture Group: Mende
  • Dimensions: 120mm x 175mm
  • Production Date: Pre 1910
  • Associated Places: Sierra Leone: Sherbro District (Collected and created)
  • Associated People: L. Probyn (Donor); G. W. Page (Collector)
  • Museum: World Museum Liverpool Sierra Leone Collection
  • Accession Number: LIVCM.17.12.10.40

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