Female Bust, Luba-shankadi People, Drc

Statue depicting an ancestral female bust. The arms are folded against the torso, and the hands support the breasts. The long, slender neck is surmounted by a head with an oval face. The eyes are half-closed with heavy eyelids, the nose is thin, and a discreet mouth blends into the chin. The hairstyle is structured in superimposed tiers, evoking a cascading effect. This is a stylistic marker characteristic of Shankadi workshops. A copper spike is fixed to the top of the head. Its function is to aid in the relationship with ancestors and reinforces protection and ritual intimidation. This female figure is adorned with a necklace of blue beads and a belt of braided plant fibers.
Luba-Shankadi people, DRC.
Wood with a patina from use (minor losses), copper, plant fibers, beads.
Height: 31 cm.
Early 20th century.
Provenance: - collected in situ by a former Belgian colonist: Augustin Becquet (1899-1974). He was an agricultural engineer, director at INEAC, and mining engineer at UMHK (Union Minière du Haut Katanga). In 1921, he was sent to the Belgian Congo.
-Ex Belgian collection