Songye Statue, D.r.c.

Statue of a standing male figure. The arms are along the body, the face is realistic and very harmonious. The mouth is ajar and an expression of great sweetness emerges from his being. A summit hole is present and must have contained a magical charge. Beautiful object with a face giving off a beautiful expression.
Wood with a smooth brown-red patina and slightly oozing in places and slightly crusty in other places.
Small missing at the back of the base, slits, tip of the nose glued back together.
H: 34 cm
mid-twentieth century
Songye people, Lubao territory, Democratic Republic of Congo
Provenance: collected in-situ by Father Scheutiste Jules Palsterman who worked at the Catholic Mission of Saint Joseph Tshungu, the collected objects were then sent to the Kalonda mission.