Tchokwé Female Statuette, Democratic Republic Of Congo / Angola.

Female statuette seated on a throne with rectangular legs. The rounded belly is decorated with scarifications, the hands with tapered fingers rest on the thighs in a posture of authority. Her face has a beautiful hieratic expression accentuated by the coffee bean eyes and the closed mouth. It also has scarifications on the cheeks as well as a nasal ornament. A cross-shaped motif engraved in the center of the forehead, close to the cross of Saint Andrew, is typical of Tchokwé initiatory marks. The rounded buttocks accentuate the stability of the silhouette. Wood, old honey and brown patina, signs of use, erosion of time on the lower part, good general condition of conservation (see photos). Tchokwé, Democratic Republic of Congo / Angola. Dimensions: 24.2 × 5 cm Sold with certificate of authenticity from the expert Serge Reynes. Guarantee of origin and period. "Among the Tchokwé, statuettes of female dignitaries embody authority and the continuity of power within the lineage. Ventral and facial scarifications, as well as nasal ornamentation, express identity and prestige. The cross-shaped sign engraved on the forehead, similar to the cross of Saint Andrew and known by the vernacular name cingelyengelye, is an initiatory mark. This motif, introduced into the region through contact with Portuguese travelers as early as the 16th century, is believed to derive from pewter pendants worn as ornaments. Gradually integrated into Tchokwé aesthetics and rites, it became a symbol of clairvoyance and passage, associated with the idea of a crossroads between the visible world and that of the ancestors. The seated posture, hands on the thighs, and throne with rectangular legs emphasize the status of dignitary, while the balance of forms and the rigor of details give this figure a hieratic and timeless presence."