Songye Male Figure, Democratic Republic of Congo
height 19 3/4in (52cm)
n'kisi, standing with legs apart, the large feet carved on the round cylindrical base, the arms bent and hands resting on the protruding abdomen, the head with an open mouth revealing irregularly carved teeth and a small cavity, both of which were probably intended for the insertion of magical substances, an elongated smooth neck which may have originally been wrapped with secondary material; fine glossy honey-brown patina.
Provenance:
Field collected by a Belgian administrator circa 1910
Marc Felix, Brussels
Jack and Constance Wallinga, Minneapolis, acquired from the above in 1989
