Female half figure "mikisi mihasi", mid to late 19th century
Description
ivory (Hippopotamus amphibius), base
Usually these figures were suspended from cords which were worn diagonally across the chest or were attached to the arm.
But, according to Nooter Roberts, the figures were also sometimes attached to the tops of scepters carried by chiefs. Since there are no drill holes for the suspension of this object (usually below the shoulders), but instead a central drill hole at the bottom, this type of usage would be conceivable.
A very similar figure is in the Royal Museum of Central Africa Tervuren, Belgium (AHDRC 0030289).
Comparing literature
Roberts, Mary Nooter, Memory, Luba Art and the Making of History, Ausst.kat., New York 1996, p. 108Notices
This object is subject to CITES. Please note that it can only be sent within the European Union. At the present time export in third countries is prohibited, respectively, export licenses in third countries for objects containing or made of protected materials are only granted under stringent conditions.