Unidentified spirit medium in Nyanhewe Village, Rushinga. This image features many significant ritual objects and substances. These include a reed mat, or rukukwe; a ceremonial axe, or gano; a clay pot, or hari, filled with beer; gourd dippers, or mikombe; strings of black and white beads, or chuma; and the characteristic blue and black cloths, or machira, worn by spirit mediums.
Photograph taken by Lucy Duran during a research trip for the BBC’s radio program “Talking Drum,” produced by Tessa Watt. Image used with permission of Lucy Duran.