Figure masculine accroupie
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- Figure masculine accroupie
Figure masculine accroupie
R. D. Congo, Bembe
Provenance | Taille | Adjugé |
---|---|---|
Gerard Wahl Boyer, Paris, France Stephane Grusenmeyer, Brussels, Belgium |
H: 13,5 cm | Cet objet n’est plus disponible. |
wood, white porcelain inlay, base
Particularly finely carved figure with the typical extensive scarification patterns on the belly and chest.
The Bembe make use of two main types of figures: power figures used by diviners to cure ailments and ancestral figures, used to represent and honour deceased community leaders.
The Bembe believe that small wooden anthropomorphic figures are a representation of themselves and anyone with the financial means (usually chiefs and successful hunters) can commission the carving of a figure. The carved figure is generally called "nkumba" by the Bembe.
Upon the death of a figure's owner, pieces of the individual's corpse are mixed with medicines and magic substances ("bilongo"). This mixture is then inserted into a small carved hole near the rectum of the figure. By inserting the mixture and sealing the hole with a wooden plug and / or cloth wrapping, the "nkumba" figure receives the spirit of the ancestor and is thus transformed into a "nkiteki" ancestor figure (pl. "biteki", in some sources also called "mukuya").