Zemanek-Münster

Half figure "munsinju", around 1920 ·  D. R. Congo, Kasongo · ID: 3048336

sold EUR 2,000
Provenance
Marc Leo Felix, Brussels, Belgium (field collected in the 1970s)
Fred Jahn, Munich, Germany
Thomas Olbricht, Essen, Germany (1996)
Size
H: 21 cm
H: 8.3 inch

Description

wood, kaolin, rest., base

The object bears a handwritten inventory number of Marc Leo Felix (“FC4 467”). The date of origin of the sculpture was set by him at 1920.

The object still carries parts of the magic charge in an opening in the head. It is completely covered with a rich sacrificial patina that is sticky in places.

According to Felix, this half figure is exceptional since “it depicts the simian icon incorporated in the human face”.

Half figures “munsinju” were either displayed on iron spikes or kept in baskets; they were the property of the magic priests “muganga”.


The object Half figure “munsinju”, around 1920 with the object ID 3048336 was last part of the auction 98th Auction at March 26, 2022 on Zemanek-Münster Auction house. The object with the lot number 270 achieved a sales price of EUR 2,000.

You can find more Figures and other popular object types on our related topic pages. You may also be interested in our page on African art.


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