Figural pipe · Angola, Ovimbundu · ID: 3041477
Description
wood, light brown and blackish brown patina, in shape of a sitting female figure with a narrow compressed body, consisting of two pieces: the proportionally large head removable, metal sheet coating inside, drilled hole at height of the stomach, slightly dam. (base), crack, abrasion of paint;
the Ovimbundus homeland is centered on the Benguela Plateau, bordering to the east on Chokwe land. Their art works are heavyly influenced by these neighbours. Masks are not known but their sculptures are mainly known by their pipes and staffs with female heads or figures which depict “nana yakoma”, the guardian of the holy fire - sacred objects of the old Ovimbundu chiefs.
The object Figural pipe with the object ID 3041477 was last part of the auction 84th Tribal Art Auction at November 5, 2016 on Zemanek-Münster Auction house. The object with the lot number 490 achieved a sales price of EUR 4,000.
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Publications
Graham-Stewart, Michael, Foreigners, London 2011, ill. 7