Standing male power figure "buti" ·  D. R. Congo, Teke · ID: 3045742

Description

wood, pigments, base

Among the Teke, a freshly sculpted figure is called “tege” and is considered to have no power.

The statues mystical power will come from the actions of a specialist practitioner in magical arts, the “nga”, who will smear a mixture of kaolin and tula (red wood powder) on the bust of the sculpture. Then the “nga” will introduce into the abdominal cavity of the figure a “power charge” made up from different elements coming from the vegetal, animal and mineral world called “bonga"bwanga”.

After the magical charge was applied, the figures were called “buti”.