Small standing figure · D. R. Congo, Lega · ID: 3037840
Lempertz Brussels, 25. April 2009, lot 116
Description
ivory, honey brown patina, hollowed inside, abraded surface, facial features hardly recognizable, min.dam., small missing parts, base;
the almost fossilized ivory is proof of the piece’s great age;
such figures are manipulated in diverse ways during rituals, being arranged in configurations (including placement facing in different directions) or held during dancing. The ivory may be rubbed with oil or perfume, or else polished with sandpaper, producing a powder that may be used as a medicine. The significance of these figures can only be judged through knowledge of their use in their original ritual context, which may change with the ritual in which they are employed. They may act as signifiers of rank, marks of identity, or commemorations of ancestors.
The object Small standing figure with the object ID 3037840 was last part of the auction 78th tribal art auction at October 18, 2014 on Zemanek-Münster Auction house and had the lot number 440.
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Comparing literature
Musée du Quai Branly (ed.), L' Art des Lega, Paris 2013, p. 148, ill. 124