Standing male figure · Gabon, Tsogho · ID: 3041752
Walter Schmidt, Würzburg/Innsbruck, Germany/Austria
Description
wood, matt patina, polychrome paint, tribe-typical facial features, mirror glass eyes with painted pupils, carved armrings, rest. (genital), small missing parts, slight traces of abrasion, base;
sculpture of the Tsogho is invariably associated with initiation societies, at which the “bwiti” society has top priority. The “bwiti” cult is spread all over the whole of Central Gabon. “Bwiti” has no initiation rites in classical meaning, but an initiation through taking “iboga”, a hallucinogenic plant. The statuettes were kept in the mens house, together with all the other objects which were needed for the “bwiti” cult. At funeral rites or rites held in favour of a good harvest the statues were displayed inside the mens house.
The object Standing male figure with the object ID 3041752 was last part of the auction 86th Tribal Art Auction at May 27, 2017 on Zemanek-Münster Auction house. The object with the lot number 53 achieved a sales price of EUR 3,600.
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Publications
Schädler, Karl-Ferdinand, Afrikanische Kunst in Deutschen Privatsammlungen, München 1973, p. 321
AHDRC: 0050028