Standing janus figure "khosi" ·  D. R. Congo, Yaka · ID: 3034029

Description

wood, brown patina, polychrome paint, string of red glass beads, a male and a female figure, piercings in the area of the arms, arranged back to back with the bodies amalgamated, a massive neck supporting a big head with Yaka-typical faces and headgear, min. dam., cracks, small missing parts, traces of abrasion, on base;
these figures appear in different versions: free standing pairs, joined back to back or single statuettes with janus face. The magical mass is either sealed in the stomach portion or hang in pouches or antelope horn containers on the neck or the waist. The figures are kept within a special cabin in the compound of a headman or chief.

The object Standing janus figure “khosi” with the object ID 3034029 was part of the auction 71st tribal art auction on November 24, 2012. The object with the lot number 454 achieved a sales price of EUR 1,700 with an asking price of EUR 1,500.

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Comparing literature

Bourgeois, Arthur P., The Yaka and Suku, Leiden 1985, pl. XVIII