Janiform power figure "kabeja" · D. R. Congo, Hemba · ID: 3050435
Munich Private Collection
Description
wood, pigments, bone, wire, base
“Kabeja” figures are seen as visual icon of the primordial couple, the founders of the society (“abeja” = woman, “makua” = man).
In his standard work “La Grande Statuaire Hemba du Zaire”, François Neyt notes: “Whether administering justice (“kihona”), making an offering to the ancestor (“lusingiti”) …, these janus “kabeja” were always present” (Neyt, 1977, p. 483).
The object Janiform power figure “kabeja” with the object ID 3050435 was part of the auction 102nd Auction on April 13, 2024. The object with the lot number 36 achieved a sales price of EUR 1,400 with an asking price of EUR 1,000.
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Comparing literature
Neyt, François, La Grande Statuaire Hemba du Zaire, Louvain-la-Neuve 1977, p. 483