Pende ritual statuette – Minganji type - Pende - DR Congo (No reserve price)

Beautiful ritual statuette attributed to the Pende people of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, part of the so-called Minganji corpus, figures associated with practices of protection, mediation, and social regulation.

The carved wooden head presents the typical formal characteristics: a geometric face, protruding cylindrical eye sockets, a discreet mouth, and a crown of plant fibers representing the hairstyle or ritual ornament. The deliberately angular and schematic treatment of the face corresponds to the Minganji aesthetic, where expressivity comes through stylization.

The body is made up of a frame entirely sheathed in a fine braided wicker, forming a regular graphic network. The extremities (wrists, ankles, neck) are fitted with plant fibers. This combination of wood / fibers / wicker is characteristic of Minganji figures, designed to be handled, displayed, or activated in a ritual context.

These figures were involved in practices related to community protection, customary justice, and appeasement rituals.

Cohesive patina, signs of wear, old and homogeneous materials. No visible modern decorative additions.

Ethnographic object representative of Pende ritual art.

Provenance: former European private collection.
Condition: good overall condition, wear and patina in keeping with age.