Democratic Republic Of Congo, Large Anthropomorphic Ceremonial Mortar

Origin: Democratic Republic of Congo
Presumed age: Mid-20th century
Material: Dense wood
Without stand: 52.5 cm x 17.5 cm
Condition: Wears
Provenance: From a set from a private collection

Large monoxyl anthropomorphic mortar for ritual use. It represents a standing woman whose most remarkable aspect is characterized here by an absence of face replaced by a large and deep receptacle acting as a mortar. The semi-bent legs, short and powerful, rest on broad feet with spread toes. The thighs are decorated with ritual scarifications and the elongated body receives powerful shoulders positioned in a straight line of the receptacle, the arms detached from the body, slightly bent. The lower part of the trunk is adorned, like the thighs, with large scarifications, the latter accommodating a small chest. The navel projected forward overhangs an evocative female sex allowing us to think that this mortar was used during cults associated with motherhood. The central part of the receptacle is made up of geometric figures interspersed with series of curved lines, the lower and upper parts decorated with a frieze of chevrons.