Ofika's Hanged Man Statue - Mbole - DR Congo

Hanging figurine Ofika – Mbole (DRC) – rare typology, strong presence

Rare figurine called “pendu” attributed to the Ofika / Mbole (DRC), an emblematic typology but one that has become difficult to find in good quality. It has been a long time since we last offered one: this is a piece that deserves to be highlighted, both for its ethnographic interest and for its formal power.

The sculpture strikes with its taut and expressive silhouette: a lean body, a suspended posture, bent legs and arms brought back, as if seized in a moment of tension. The face, highly characteristic, presents angular volumes and a dramatized expression, reinforced by an open mouth. The sculpted headdress or 'cap' envelops the head and emphasizes the overall verticality. The patina contrast is superb: a dark, lustrous brown on the body, with a lighter face heavily pigmented, giving a highly theatrical reading that is immediately legible in a storefront window.

These figures are traditionally associated with social-regulation uses and symbolic sanction: the image of the “condemned” functions as a moral warning and a reminder of communal order, which explains the narrative force of these works. Here, abstraction remains very controlled: the sculptor simplifies the volumes while preserving intense expressivity, close to modern sculpture.

A rare, characterful piece, ideal for a Central African collector seeking a strong, recognizable typology that is historically significant.

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