Ancestor figure "singiti" ·  R. D. Congo, Hemba · ID: 3041076

Description

wood, brown patina, slightly encrusted, bearded face with half-closed eyes, disc-shaped coiffure with cross emblem, rep. (breakage/base), insect caused missing parts, cracks, slight traces of abrasion, base;
ancestor figures, called “singiti”, represent famous warriors, clan founders or local chiefs, which are placed in small huts and venerated. Noble families of the eastern savannahs of the Democatic Republic of Congo adopted the practice of sculpting images of their ancestors, thus preserving the memory of their ancestors and constituting a genealogical chart of their lineage. Through this custom they reinforced the authority of the ancestral tradition and affirmed their ownership of the ground.