Slave Statue In Den
The chained African slave statue displayed in William Branham's den, beside props connected to his western stage persona, is a disturbing artifact because Branham described it as a religious sacrifice while the figure itself portrays a Black man stripped, bridled, chained at the mouth and feet, and rendered voiceless and immobile, making it a powerful visual symbol of racial humiliation, bondage, exoticized suffering, and spiritualized control within the private space later preserved as a museum for Message followers.
In William Branham's den, next to the western hat similar to that used in western photos for his stage persona, stands a statue of an African American slave stripped down to a loincloth. The slave's mouth is bridled with a heavy chain and a bit, similar to that used for oxen. The feet are also bound with chains to limit the movement of the legs. The sculptor chose to give the slave an umbilical hernia, a condition more common among children of African descent.[1]
I got a statue up there, a little figurine, way he sacrifices to his god, to think he’d go to Heaven. A priest puts a stick in his mouth, wraps it around his head, with a chain; comes down, puts his hands behind him, chains his feet. He can’t drink, speak, eat, nor nothing else, till he dies.
Branham, William. 1962, April 1. Wisdom Versus Faith (62-0401)
The statue is included in several photographs of William Branham's den, which has been made a museum for cult members.
Video walkthrough: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7gZ4ECLGqMU&t=649s
George Smith describing the statue before opening the museum: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kmVI9NkZ3JQ&t=33m40s