Zemanek-Münster

Male power figure "nkisi/ nkishi" ·  D. R. Congo, Songye · ID: 3046573

not available anymore
Provenance

Consul Jean Thouvenin, Nancy, France
Will Hoogstraate (1917-2008), Amsterdam, The Netherlands (1970s)
Serge Reynes, Bagnolet, France

Hoogstraate bought his first African objects at the age of sixteen, an “ibeji” pair, in 1933 from Lemaire.
From 1960 to 1987 he directed the internationally renowned Galerie d’Eendt in Amsterdam, which specialized in modern art and exhibited renowned artists such as Bernard Buffet, Picasso, Karel Appel and Geer van Velde.
Together with his wife he dedicated his life to collecting African and precolumbian art.

Size
H: 46 cm / 56 cm (with horn)
H: 18.1 inch / 22.0 inch (with horn)

Description

wood, animal horn, metal, pigments, insect caused damage, base

The figure shows a heavily oiled sticky sacrificial patina in some places. The antelope horn, which is still preserved, symbolises strength, fertility and abundance. The magic charge “bishimba” was located in the abdominal cavity. The light patina in the lower part of the body suggests that the figure once wore a cloth apron.


The object Male power figure “nkisi/ nkishi” with the object ID 3046573 was last part of the auction 94th Tribal Art Auction at March 7, 2020 on Zemanek-Münster Auction house and had the lot number 347.

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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