Democratic Republic Of Congo (formerly Zaire), Songye People, Mid-20th Century, Ancient Anthropomorphic Fetish With Dark Patina

Old anthropomorphic fetish with dark patina

DRC (ex Zaire), Songye people
Mid-20th century

The fetish represents a male figure standing on bent legs and resting on a circular base decorated with diamond patterns. The slender body with a drooping chest presents a swollen abdomen, hollowed out by a small umbilicus, the arms bent at right angles and detached from the body, the hands positioned on each side of the abdomen. A long ringed neck receives an angular head treated in a cubist manner. The emaciated face, characterized by an absence of forehead, the brow ridges hollowed out with small circles, the latter overhanging wide, wide-open almond-shaped eyes. A long flat nose above a small quadrangular mouth taking place on an elongated and rectangular chin, Herringbone-shaped ears, the top of the skull receiving a cavity once decked out with magical charge.

Wood with dark patina
Marks of use
04 x 21.5 cm without stand
Private collection