Songye Fetish - Democratic Republic Of Congo

Songye protective statue, with a very long ringed neck, without arms.

Dimensions of the work:
Height: 84 cm
Base diameter: 12 cm

This African statue of Songye origin is a nkishi fetish desecrated with the exception of its ritual horn, stuck at the top of the skull. The body initially accommodated accessories such as skins, bracelets, bones, etc. giving it its protective power. The vast territory inhabited by the Songye, the relatively low demographic density and the cultural and stylistic influences of neighboring ethnic groups can explain the great differences in composition which characterize the statuary of this people. In the eastern and central part, we find a particular stylistic element that is rarely found elsewhere in traditional African Songye art, which is represented by the ringed neck, sometimes hyper-elongated. In African art, these figures were kept on an individual, family or even village level in order to benefit from their protective powers.