Half figure "munsinju", around 1920 · D. R. Congo, Kasongo · ID: 3048312
Fred Jahn, Munich, Germany
Thomas Olbricht, Essen, Germany (1996)
Description
wood, fabric, kaolin, base
This half-figure was collected in the field by Mark Leo Felix (inventory no. “FC4 393”). In his standard work “100 Peoples of Zaire and their Sculpture” (Brussels, 1987), it serves as a model for the type of “munsinju” half-figures of the Kasongo (p. 53, Fig. 3).
The figure shows traces of ritual use and still carries its magical charge wrapped in cloth in its head. “Munsiniju” were the property of the medicine men “muganga”.
A stylistically very similar figure from the Kabalo region, possibly from the same workshop, published in AHDRC 0017759.
The object Half figure “munsinju”, around 1920 with the object ID 3048312 was part of the auction 97th Auction on November 6, 2021. The object with the lot number 308 achieved a sales price of EUR 1,100 with an asking price of EUR 600.
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Publications
Felix, Marc L., 100 Peoples of Zaire and their Sculpture, Brussels 1987, p. 53, fig. 3