Female miniature figure "mbulenga" · D. R. Congo, Bena Lulua (Luluwa) · ID: 3049960
sold
EUR 1,400
Provenance
Lore Kegel (1901-1980), Hamburg, Germany (acquired in situ 1953)Boris Kegel-Konietzko, Hamburg, Germany (1995)
Bernhard Jäger, Frankfurt a. M., Germany
Size
H: 12,5 cm
H: 4.9 inch
Description
wood, pigments, collection no. “L19”, base
“Mbulenga” figures were used in the “bwanga bwa bwimpe” cult. Their production was ordered by a ritual specialist “mbuki” for young women who had difficulties getting pregnant.
The women carried the small figure attached to her waist throughout daily chores. Offerings of oils, red earth, and kaolin were rubbed into the surface creating a thick patina.
Comparing literature
Brown, Kellim, Southern Kasai Hands, Brussels 2011, p. 10 f.