Male power figure "buti"
D. R. Congo, Teke
not available anymore
Provenance
Robert Lewitzki, Celle, GermanySize
H: 39 cm
H: 15.4 inch
Description
wood, base
“Buti” figures are named after and identified as specific male ancestors and located in a shrine to one’s deceased family members.
They are designed to help with a variety of problems.
The addition of “bonga” (magical charge) transforms the inanimate sculptural shell of the figure (figures devoid of “bonga” are called “tege”) into an ancestor.
To desacralise an ancestral figure, the mystical substances located within must be removed. Upon the death of a figure’s owner, “buti” are buried along with his body and other belongings.