Magical Fetish from the Kotoko people of Chad, Central Africa is believed to cure insanity

A different kind of medicine!

In the west, medication is the most common way to deal with psychosis – the general loss of contact with reality. Although therapy has its place, when madness strikes the treatment almost always involves complicated pharmaceutical names like Thorazine, Fluphenazine, and Prochlorperazine, to name just a few. Yet, go to the Kotoko Kingdom on the border between Cameroon and Chad in West Africa and you will discover a prescription combining science and superstition. Locals say it is so potent even the direst delusion will be gone forever. 

This fetish is called Putchu Guinadji, meaning “the horse and rider who fight the demons of madness”

This week’s New Arrival features a Kotoko magic fetish. Called a Putchu Guinadji, it consists of a one-of-a-kind brass sculpture placed inside a leather coverlet filled with the dried leaves of the Gwouabi plant. In the Kotoko language, Putchu Guinadji translates as “the horse and rider who fight the demons of madness.” Using the fetish is simple – keep it close to the body – yet preparing it is not.  It requires a skilled metal caster and healer who understands how to forge a powerful antidote – the belief that peace of mind is the healthiest state of all.

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This item is part of the auction ANCIENT, FOLK, ETHNOGRAPHIC ART & FURNISHINGS PRIMITIVE is hosting with auction house Material Culture in Philadelphia on August 7th. Click here to learn more or browse the Auction Catalogue and Bid Live on any of the three portals below: