Standing female ancestor figure "hamba" ·  Angola, Luena · ID: 3033506

Description

wood, reddish brown patina with partly rubbed off blackish painting, a strong and slender body with the female sex chararacteristics especially accentuated, incised tattoos on the abdomen, slightly dam., paint rubbed off, on base;
a male diviner commonly works in alliance with a powerful female ancestor, because Luena men acknowledge the superior abilities of women in the manipulation of the supernatural. This female “hamba”, or ancestral figure, once assisted a male diviner in his battles against the harmful, evil, or anti-social elements that threatened his community.

The object Standing female ancestor figure “hamba” with the object ID 3033506 was last part of the auction 70th tribal art auction at September 8, 2012 on Zemanek-Münster Auction house. The object with the lot number 491 achieved a sales price of EUR 1,800.

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Comparing literature

Jordán, Manuel (ed.), Chokwe!, München, London, New York 1998, ill. 105