Janus-Figure, Kabeja

Hemba janus figures, or kabeja, consisting of a man and woman back to back may have been used in ancestor worship or fertility rituals, for protection, and as a symbol of power and prestige. The representation of the joined man and woman embodies the spiritual power of the founding ancestral couple and may depict them having relations with the spirits, which results in the birth of a monster. A receptacle for magical substance is placed in the cup at the top of the joint coiffure.