Statuette - Bakongo - DR Congo

Double Kongo statuette (Bakongo) – Ntadi evocation – Belgian private collection

Rare Kongo statuette with a double composition, particularly interesting for its symbolic reading and its uncommon iconography. The piece features two figures superimposed, forming a very graphic vertical sculpture, both narrative and statuary. This type of piece is sought after because it combines several levels of meaning: hierarchy, lineage, transmission, and the link between the world of the living and that of the ancestors.

The upper figure, finely carved, immediately draws the eye: an expressive face, full lips, well-defined volumes, arms drawn forward in a posture of concentration. The ancient patina, brown and deep, offers beautiful glossy areas on the face and chest, testifying to prolonged handling and to a ritual or domestic life.

The most remarkable feature lies in the lower figure: its posture and presence clearly evoke the world of ntadi, those famous Kongo stone funerary sculptures, known for their frontal, often meditative stance, and sometimes with the head tilted. This reference is rare in wooden sculpture, and it gives the object a very strong memorial dimension: the base becomes a symbolic 'funerary' pedestal, rooting the sculpture in a register of ancestors, protection, and remembrance. For collectors, this dialogue between a wooden figure and the ntadi imaginary constitutes a premier, uncommon, and highly desirable element.

We should also note the construction and usage details: perforations (notably at the central area and at the base), possible attachment or mounting points, as well as the marks of time (old cracks/stabilized fissures) that contribute to the visual authenticity of the piece. A distinctive, rare item, ideal for a collection focused on Kongo art, ancestral figures, and sculptures with strong symbolic significance.

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