Yaka Figure, Democratic Republic of the Congo
biteki
Wood, fiber, pigments, shell, antler
height 11 1/4in (28.5cm)
Provenance
Private Collection, Santa Fe, New Mexico, acquired in Austria
Arthur Bourgeois (Art of the Yaka and Suku, Alain and Francoise Chaffin, Paris, 1984) notes, "...statuettes, which are called biteki, are used as receptacles or supports for magical preparations." (p. 107) The bird, "njila or kanjila serves as protection and to promote fertility." (p. 116)
cf. Bourgeois, Arthur P., Visions of Africa: Yaka, 5 Continents Press, 2015, pl. 36