Standing male figure "lomba" or "kambei"
Sierra Leone, Mende
not available anymore
Provenance
Reginald Groux, Paris, France (1998)Size
H: 60 cm
H: 23.6 inch
Description
wood, black patina, color accents in red and green, elaborate carved, slightly dam., insect caused missing parts, rep. (breakage at the left foot), base.
Originally mostly female figures were used for ritual acts in the different secret societies in Mendeland. Pairs of figures of both sexes were assigned by the ethnologist W. A. Hart, the “njayei” society. The “njayei” spirits draw their powers from the water, “nja” is the Mende word for water.
The figural couples of male and female are known as “lomba” and “kambei”. They are said to represent both deceased members of the association and, in some sense, the associations ancestral spirits, possibly the original founders of the local chapter.
Comparing literature
Hart, W.A.,Sculptures of the Njayei Society among the Mende, in: African Arts (26/ No. 3), July 1993, p. 46-53Publications
AHDRC: 0112902