Sikasingo Of The Buyu Tribe

Sikasingo of the Buyu Tribe
This ancestral statue, carved from tropical wood, represents a tribal chief or an important deceased royal ancestor. These statues were carefully preserved in small, special shelters or funeral huts. When the community or family faced adversity, illness, or conflict, they would turn to these statues to implore the favor and wisdom of the ancestors.
The statue features large, closed, almond-shaped eyes and a wide mouth with visible teeth. The edge of the beard, along the jawline, is serrated.
At the top of the head is a bowl-shaped element (and the back of the head is adorned with a fine interlacing pattern carved vertically).
The shoulders have the typical angular shape.
On the chest, a well-defined horizontal panel is carved with a repetitive chevron pattern.
The figure adopts a stocky and powerful posture, with muscular arms adorned with bracelet-shaped incisions, and stands firmly on massive, stylized legs and feet.
10 cm wide, 11 cm deep, and 31 cm tall
Tribal art from the Democratic Republic of the Congo