Power figure "khosi" · D. R. Congo, Yaka/Suku · ID: 3041652
Description
wood, brown patina, red and white pigment, the body entirely wrapped with strips of fabric, magical accessories: bird claw, feathers, bag with magical ingredients, old collection number backside “C 371”, slightly dam., cracks, minor missing part, base;
there are a number of magico-religious cults and societies among the Yaka, whose members use figures for obtaining special needs. One of these societies is the “khosi” (the literal meaning of which is “leopard”), whose figures are characterized by white and red spots over the entire body, or by the fact that half of the face is coloured white, and the other half red. Magical accessories were used to boost the strength and effectiveness of the figure.
The object Power figure “khosi” with the object ID 3041652 was last part of the auction 85th Tribal Art Auction at March 4, 2017 on Zemanek-Münster Auction house. The object with the lot number 458 achieved a sales price of EUR 1,200.
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Comparing literature
Grootaers, Jan-Lodewijk & Ineke Eisenburger (ed.), Forms of Wonderment, Vol. II, Berg en Dal 2002, p. 531