Head sculpture ·  Angola, Lunda · ID: 3034888

Description

ivory, whitened (bleached?), natural grains, delicate and regular carved facial features dominated by large eyes with dark inlayed pupils, a headband separating the face from the coiffure which consists of diadem-shaped tufts in step-like arrangement, dotted decor accentuated by dark pigment, nearly ornamental used natural grains running across the face in two vertical lines, the head rising from a long neck with fine grooved base, slightly dam., minor missing parts (ears and coiffure), rep. (base), wooden socle;
presumably once designed as handle of an ivory whistle or of a sword, possibly once forming the top of a dignitary staff.