Oracle Katatora - Songye - DR Congo

The Katatora oracles constitute a traditional divinatory system of the Songye, a people of Congo-Kinshasa. This ritual object takes the form of a circular wooden ring, adorned with a carved face representing a spiritual entity or an ancestor. The nganga (diviners) use it during ceremonial consultations to communicate with the spirit world and obtain guidance regarding health, social affairs, and the future. The Katatora thus embodies a central spiritual authority and ensures Songye cultural continuity. This divinatory practice testifies to the richness of African indigenous knowledge systems, where the material and the sacred intertwine in a complex cosmology. Preserving these traditions remains essential to understand local epistemologies and the relations to the divine in contemporary Congolese societies.

Presentation of our expert house

Based in Belgium, our expert-house and sales team specializes in African art and ethnography. A reference seller on Catawiki for over 8 years, we enjoy a solid reputation and a track record of several hundred sales with a nearly 100% customer satisfaction rate.

We regularly assist with liquidations, successions, and dispersals of collections, in collaboration with private individuals and families in Belgium and neighboring countries. Our approach is rigorous, transparent, and accessible, with sales often offered without reserve prices.

Some pieces that have passed through our hands have joined international private collections and, for some, museum institutions.

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