A tall slender Moba Tchitchiri post figure (attributed to the 19th century, 89 cm) from Togo — almost entirely concealed beneath heavy iron bindings, wrapped animal hide, and accumulated packets of magical materials, the featureless head topping a form completely entombed in a thick dark organic sacrificial crust, giving the object a highly imposing presence.

1. The tchitchiri and additive aesthetics

Traditional Moba wood carving is renowned for the Tchitchiri — a highly abstracted wooden figure reduced to a simple vertical pole with minimal indications of head and limbs.

• Transcending the Standard: This piece departs from standard Moba carving through its additive aesthetic.
• Weaponized Pole: The underlying wooden form has been modified and activated by the deliberate addition of iron rings, leather, and organic matter — transforming it from an ancestral marker into an active, highly charged ritual object.

2. Aggressive sorcery and spiritual containment

Associated with power figures for a sorcerer, this object functioned similarly to a Vodou bocio.

• Tied-Down Spirits: The heavy iron bindings are not decorative — they are spiritually functional, intended to "tie down" or trap malevolent spirits, or to contain the explosive magical energy generated by the sorcerer.
• Medicine Packets: The attached packets likely contain powerful medicines, graveyard dirt, or animal parts — used for extreme spiritual warfare, defense against curses, or to project aggressive magic against the community's enemies.

3. Entombed patination consistent with 19th-century age

The surface shows wear consistent with long-term ritual use.

• Preserved Organics: Attributed to the 19th century, the original wood and iron are unified under a heavy hardened layer of sacrificial blood, millet beer, and earth — the organic bindings have hardened into a resinous crust.
• Generations of Shrine Use: Deep stable rust on the exposed iron combined with the hardened organics suggests generations of continuous active use in a smoky shrine environment.

Summary

This Moba sorcerer's figure is a notable example of West African additive magic. Its heavy iron bindings and thick sacrificial crust suggest significant age and anthropological interest.