Figure d'ancêtre d'un chef de tribu "singiti" · R. D. Congo, Hemba, style Niembo · ID: 3046030
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Provenance
Ludwig Bretschneider, Munich, Germany (1972)Description
wood, rep. (base), on pedestal
This idealized portrait commemorated and honored the lifetime accomplishments of a deceased male ancestor. With its serene expression the figure embodies the dignity and wisdom of a respected elder.
As spiritual mediators between the living and the dead, these figures were preserved in a shrine, where they were paid homage with prayers and blood sacrifices.
The figures also provided a powerful ideological message about family continuity and legitimized the political authority inherited by the ancestor’s living kin.
Littérature comparée
Neyt, Francois, La Grande Statuaire Hemba du Zaire, Louvain-la-Neuve 1977