Small figure "mbulenga"

Description

wood, beautiful reddish brown patina, pokerwork, fine carved facial features, abundant scarifications, minor missing parts (coiffure, left hand, both foot tips), base;
carved from the sacred “muabi” tree, which invites ancestral spirits to inhabit, and empower sculpture. “Mbulenga” figures belonged to young women having difficulty with getting pregnant. The woman carried the small figure attached to her waist throughout daily chores. Regular offerings of oils, red earth, and kaolin were rubbed into the surface creating a thick glossy patina.