Ritual staff of the "khimba" initiation society · D. R. Congo, Bakongo · ID: 3039721

Name: Ritual staff of the "khimba" initiation society
SKU: 3039721
Availability: Discontinued

not available anymore

Provenance

Christie’s, Paris, 16 June 2009, lot 280

Size

H: 41,5 cm

H: 16.3 inch

Description

wood, reddish brown patina, remains of kaolin, composed of three elements: stake-like spike, central recess used as a handgrip, and two back to back figures on top, slightly dam., missing parts (headdress), fine cracks;
the two figures represent the first male initiates “matundu” and “malanda”. Both balance boxes (likely representing lineage reliquaries) on their heads. They grip sticks behind their necks, referring to those used during initiation rites to beat the initiates. The initiates later used them as dance sticks during the concluding ceremonies. They are kept as symbols of their endurance and adult status. Around their waists they were originally wrapped with a large bunch of plaited raffia fiber, to which are tied numerous nutshells that make noise when agitated. Accordingly the object functioned as a ritual musical instrument. It could also be planted in the ground to delineate sacred spaces and demarcate initiation proceedings.

The object Ritual staff of the “khimba” initiation society with the object ID 3039721 was last part of the auction 81st Tribal Art Auction at October 31, 2015 on Zemanek-Münster Auction house and had the lot number 425.

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