Power figure in shape of a drummer · D. R. Congo, Bembe · ID: 3033885
sold
EUR 1,300
Provenance
Willem K. Coumans, Maastricht, The NetherlandsSize
H: 21,5 cm
H: 8.5 inch
Description
light-weighted wood, brown patina, traces of black paint, eyes with porcelain inlay, necklace with seeds, cavity on the right side of the body, square compartment with incised patterns on the breast, slightly dam., paint rubbed off, on base;
there are two kinds of power figures: the malevolent kind, causing “black magic” (“milindi ya batee”) and the benevolent kind, disposing of curative powers (“milindi ya banya”).
Comparing literature
E. M. Maurer, N. Batulukisi, Art of the Congo, Minneapolis 1999, p. 81