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Directory: Vintage Arts: Regional Art: African: Pre 1960: Item # 1464857

Please refer to our stock # 1-1317 when inquiring.

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AfricAsia Primitive and Antiques
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120 Impasse de La Borie
81170 Livers Cazelles, FRANCE
(0033) 6 32 63 98 15

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"Gorfa" milk container, made of calabash covered with tightly woven vegetal fibers, with a leather handle partly decorated with cowries. The gorfa is also covered with leather and wood protection, and its foot is decorated with cowries. Ethiopia, Borana Peoples. Height: 21.2 cm. Very good condition. NOTE: The Borana society is build around the maintenance of cattle, which are their prime source of sustenance. Milk and yogurt also are staples of the Borana diet. Many Borana folktales and songs illustrate their affection for cattle, and the possession of large herds is considered a sign of one's economic status. Legal fines, bride-prices, and religious sacrifices are all paid in the form of cattle. Milk containers are vital objects in a culture where raising cattle is of central importance.