Rare female bowl-bearing figure "kabila mboko", 2nd half 19th century · D. R. Congo, Kanyok · ID: 3046020
Alex Vömel, Düsseldorf, Germany (1972)
German Private Collection
Description
wood, base
The Kanyok (also called Bena Kanioka) live in the central south of Zaire, in the Kasai-Oriental region, between the rivers Bushimaie and Luembe.
The forms and style of their sculptural art are strongly influenced by the neighbouring Luba.
The motif of the female bowl bearer “mboko” is one of several important sculptural genres found throughout the wider area of Luba influence.
The “mboko” fulfills several functions that differ within the Luba region, but are generally always in the context of fortune-telling and healing. For example, it was an important task of the bowl to absorb the white kaolin clay (“mpemba”), which was mixed with medicinal herbs and used for spiritual and healing purposes.
The object Rare female bowl-bearing figure “kabila mboko”, 2nd half 19th century with the object ID 3046020 was last part of the auction 93rd Tribal Art Auction at November 16, 2019 on Zemanek-Münster Auction house. The object with the lot number 255 achieved a sales price of EUR 7,000.
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Publications
AHDRC: 0017706
Exhibition
Düsseldorf, Germany, Galerie Vömel: Traditionelle Kunst aus Schwarz-Afrika, 1. - 31. Mai 1972