Small power figure · D. R. Congo, Lulua · ID: 3040362
sold
EUR 3,500
Provenance
Otto Jappert, Basel, SwitzerlandOskar Schimmer, Erlangen, Germany (1998)
Size
H: 14,7 cm
H: 5.8 inch
Description
wood, matt brown patina, glossy dark brown in some areas, camwood powder, fine and elaborate work of carving, holding a cup originally filled with white chalk in the left hand, hole on top of the head, base;
used by a cult called “bwanga bwa bwimpe”. The “bwimpe” cult was meant first and foremost to safeguard and foster the fertility of a young mother and the beauty and health of a young child or newborn. The sculptures also assisted in the treatment of children with skin diseases, eye infections, and other health problems. More generally they were used to ward off evildoers and sorcerers, to favour hunters and farmers, and to protect travellers.
Comparing literature
Fagaly, William, Ancestors of Congo Square, New Orleans 2011, p. 326 f.