Dance club "ebongo"
R. D. Congo, Kuyu
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Provenance
Einar Lynge-Ahlberg, Malmö, Sweden (1913-1980)Swedish Private Collection
Christie’s, Paris, 10 December 2013, lot 65
Taille
H: 30 cm
H: 11.8 inch
Description
wood, polychrome paint, coiffure with drilled holes for insertion of feathers, min. dam., insect caused damage, abrasion of paint, base;
used for the so-called “kébé-kébé” snake dance, which finished the initiation of young boys.The head sculptures were attached to staffs, which the dancers held with stretched out arms high above their heads. Their bodies were completely concealed by long costumes and the heads abundantly decorated with feathers. The face was whitened, in the colour of death, while the scarification marks were polychrome painted. After the dance, the clubs were plugged into wooden figures, which were decorated likewise.