Large Songye Statue - Congo - Tribal Art - 105cm - Provenance

Large Songye male statue (Congo): A large male effigy standing on a circular base, wearing a raffia loincloth, clasping his swollen abdomen with his hands, evoking the protective power over the lineage. The cubic head is surmounted by a large horn (believed to possess magical properties). A necklace composed of numerous teeth, placed there by the sorcerer, adorns the neck and contributes to the fetish's power of attraction. Two small masks are attached to the lower part of the statue. On the back is a large hide of unknown origin. Hardwood with a brown patina. Provenance: collected in the 1950s by a man named Kibabi and sold in the 1970s to a Belgian painter, then passed down through the family. 105 cm tall! Large Songye statues, like this one, were intended to serve an entire community and were linked to procreation, protection against disease, witchcraft, war, and the preservation of territorial claims. According to Hersak (1986), they are distinguished from other Songye magical objects because they are instruments for interacting with higher spirits associated with ancestors. Communities could thus invoke the spirits of their forebears using these effigies. This is why these sculptures, generally male, display attributes characteristic of chiefs, warriors, or hunters—three social ranks that were particularly respected and essential to the survival of the community. The power of these figures, invariably manipulated by an experienced sorcerer, was feared and they had to be handled with care.