Zemanek-Münster

Kneeling female memorial figure ·  D. R. Congo, Yombe · ID: 3049469

not available anymore
Provenance
Colonial Collection, Liège, Belgium
Paul Gilman, Liège, Belgium
Alain Guisson, Brussels, Belgium (1990)
Robert Lewitzki, Celle, Germany
Size
H: 50,5 cm
H: 19.9 inch

Description

light wood, paint, rest.

These realistic representations are memorial figures intended to commemorate particularly deserving deceased persons, without aiming at portrait resemblance.

Kecskési reports that they were kept in the house of the head of the family, while comparable figures of the dead painted with white kaolin were placed on gravesites under a shelter.

In the publication “Kongo Kingdom Art” by Marc Leo Felix, whitened figures of the dead are photographically documented (Felix, 2003, p. 278, ill. 8,13). According to him, the figures were first placed over the graves and after the decay of the grave houses, they were brought into the family home.


The object Kneeling female memorial figure with the object ID 3049469 was last part of the auction 99th Auction at November 12, 2022 on Zemanek-Münster Auction house and had the lot number 60.

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.


Comparing literature

Kecskési, Maria, Kunst aus Afrika, München, London, New York 1999, p. 28 Felix, Marc L. (ed.), Kongo Kingdom Art, China 2003, p. 278 f.


Publications

Expo cat.: "Afrikanische Kunst, Sammlung Robert Lewitzki", Bomann-Museum (Hg.), Celle 2012, p. 23

AHDRC: 0017881


Exhibition

Celler Schloß, Gotische Halle: "Afrikanische Kunst, Sammlung Robert Lewitzki", 10. Juli - 31 August 2012


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