Standing figure "mbwoolu" ·  D. R. Congo, Yaka/Suku · ID: 3039632

Description

wood, blackish brown patina, red pigment “khula”, elongated cylindrical trunk with physical deformity (arms), head with “bweni” headdress and tribe-typical facial features, slightly dam., minor missing parts (nose, left ear), fine crack (left side of the head), abrasion of paint, base;
“mbwoolu” figures were used for healing illnesses. The figures always show physical deformities such as missing limbs, expanding body sections, janus-form, or spiralled torsi. The latter symbolizes belly ache or a general feeling of malady.

The object Standing figure “mbwoolu” with the object ID 3039632 was last part of the auction 81st Tribal Art Auction at October 31, 2015 on Zemanek-Münster Auction house. The object with the lot number 508 achieved a sales price of EUR 1,100.

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Comparing literature

Bourgeois, Arthur P., Art of the Yaka and Suku, Paris 1984, p. 109