Figure de jumeau "mpundu" ·  R. D. Congo, Tabwa · ID: 3046730

Description

wood, kaolin, base

A comparable figure can be found in the holdings of the Ethnological Museum Berlin and was collected by Lt. Glauning, around 1900 at Moliro. Another in the Royal Museum of Central Africa, Tervuren, Belgium and one in the Musée de l’ Homme, Paris (cf. Roberts, 1985, No. 189, No. 190 and No. 193)

According to the Tabwa people, twins are rare and special beings who are sent to earth to keep peace between humans and nature. When a twin dies in infancy, he/ she is memorialized in a carved wooden statue “mpundu,” like this one.

The Tabwa people do not mourn dead twins because they believe the twins have “returned home”. They care for the twin figures with love and respect. When the surviving twin is old enough to walk, he or she takes over the care of the statue, signifying that even in death twins remain connected.

L’objet Figure de jumeau “mpundu” avec l’ID d’objet 3046730 a fait partie de la vente aux enchères 95e Vente aux enchères Tribal Art dans 24 octobre 2020. L’objet portant le numéro de lot 301 a atteint un prix de vente de 7 500 € pour un prix d’adjudication de 2 000 €.

Vous trouverez d’autres Figures et autres types d’objets populaires sur nos pages thématiques associées. Notre page sur le thème Art africain pourrait également vous intéresser.

Littérature comparée

Roberts, Allen F. & Evan M. Maurer (ed.), Tabwa, Washington D.C. 1985

Publications

Neyt, Francois, Les Sculptures Miniatures du Zaire, München 1984, p. 36