Standing male power figure "biteki"
D. R. Congo, Teke
sold
EUR 6,500
Provenance
Robert Lehuard (1902-1983), collected in situRaoul Lehuard, Arnouville, France
Mamadou Keita, Amsterdam, The Netherlands (1982/83)
Sotheby’s, London, 23 June 1986, lot 71
Size
H: 46 cm
H: 18.1 inch
Description
wood, brown patina, blackened in parts, projectin sagittal crest, eyes with glass bead inlay, armless torso with cavity containing magical mass, two further cavities on both sides, min. dam., cracks, slight traces of abrasion, base.
Figurative carving is transformed into an ancestor by the addition of spiritually empowering substances or medicines. White chalk or clay (kaolin) served as a catalyst for other ingredients because of its association with the bones of the ancestors. Earth taken from the grave was another key ingredient. Such power figures were made to serve individual clients and adressed a range of personal concerns, such as success in hunting and commercial activities or in treating physical and mental problems.
Comparing literature
Lecomte, Alain & Raoul Lehuard, Bateke, Paris 2014, p. 295 Clarke, Christa, African Art in the Barnes Foundation, New York 2015, p. 238 f.Publications
Lehuard, Raoul, Statuaire du Stanley-Pool, Villier-le-Bel 1974, cover; Lehuard, Raoul, Les arts Bateke, Arnouville 1996, p. 302, ill. 36.1.1; Felix, Marc L., 100 Peoples of Zaire and their Sculpture, Brussels 1987, p. 173, ill. 12AHDRC: 0013679