Figure magique masculine "nkisi / nkishi" · R. D. Congo, Songye · ID: 3046573
Consul Jean Thouvenin, Nancy, France
Will Hoogstraate (1917-2008), Amsterdam, The Netherlands (1970s)
Serge Reynes, Bagnolet, France
Hoogstraate bought his first African objects at the age of sixteen, an “ibeji” pair, in 1933 from Lemaire.
From 1960 to 1987 he directed the internationally renowned Galerie d’Eendt in Amsterdam, which specialized in modern art and exhibited renowned artists such as Bernard Buffet, Picasso, Karel Appel and Geer van Velde.
Together with his wife he dedicated his life to collecting African and precolumbian art.
Description
wood, animal horn, metal, pigments, insect caused damage, base
The figure shows a heavily oiled sticky sacrificial patina in some places. The antelope horn, which is still preserved, symbolises strength, fertility and abundance. The magic charge “bishimba” was located in the abdominal cavity. The light patina in the lower part of the body suggests that the figure once wore a cloth apron.