Six miniature figures · D. R. Congo, Yaka · ID: 3041250
Alex Wittendorff, Copenhagen, Denmark
Description
wood, brown patina, four of the figures seem to be made by the same carver, they form two pairs of male/female, above all the smaller couple strongly covered with sacrificial patina, missing parts (foot tip of one of the figures), traces of insect caused damage; small female figure with diamond-shaped arms, marked by strong abrasion of paint (insect caused?); figure with spirally grooved cylindrical body without limbs, strongly encrusted with kaolin; the latter represents a so-called “mbwoolo” figure, which were used for healing illnesses. A spiral-shaped torso symbolizes stomach ache or a general feeling of malady.
The object Six miniature figures with the object ID 3041250 was last part of the auction 84th Tribal Art Auction at November 5, 2016 on Zemanek-Münster Auction house and had the lot number 95.
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