Statue Of The Ngbaka People, Drc 01

Statue representing a primordial ancestor in the form of a standing male figure. The composition is characterized by a synthetic stylization of volumes. Indeed, the round head has two concave sections on either side of the nose and mouth. Circular eyes are carved, while a small mouth projects slightly forward. The body is elongated and possesses balanced proportions. The arms are clearly separated from the torso and introduce a play of lateral space that accentuates the powerful slenderness of the whole. The firmly planted legs reinforce the stability of the figure. A necklace of brass beads adorns this representation of the ancestor.
Wood with a patina from use, brass, cracks, minor old losses at the base of the feet.
Height: 30 cm.
Ngbaka people, Democratic Republic of Congo,
first half of the 20th century.
Provenance: former Belgian private collection,
formerly in the Patric Claes collection, Belgium