Standing female figure ·  D. R. Congo, Bwaka · ID: 3041257

Description

wood, shiny brown patina, nose bridge incised with notches, grooved coiffure, handwritten collection number “B.K. Col. Be.8.” at the back of the right thigh, min. dam., small missing parts, base;
most of Bwaka sculptures are depictions of “seto” and “nabo”, the earliest ancestor couple. A pair of figures representing these personnages is found almost in every home as well as in many ceremonial areas.They vary in size from personal charms to almost life-sized figures.They functioned as guardians of the owners and their families and drove away the evil spirits that caused sickness and death, made crops fail and hunts go badly and brought about miscarriages.