Mask - Congo (No reserve price)
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Wooden sculpture from Congo depicting a Songye or Luba skeleton nkisi fetish, with a black satin patina; height 52 cm and width 12 cm, in good condition with some wear and age-related stains.
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Description from the seller
Songye skeleton
Luba skeleton statuette
African Songye or Luba sculpture depicting a skeleton, not accompanied by information on the object's function.
Satin black patina. Erosions.
The Songye fetish, a magical Nkisi sculpture, nkishi (pl. mankishi), acts as a mediator between gods and humans.
Large-scale specimens are the collective property of an entire village, while smaller figures belong to an individual or a family.
In the 16th century, the Songyes migrated from the Shaba region to settle in Kasai, Katanga, and southern Kivu.
Their society is organized in a patriarchal manner. Their history is inseparable from that of the Luba, to whom they are related through a common ancestry.
Very present in their society, divination allowed the discovery of sorcerers and to shed light on the causes.
Songye skeleton
Luba skeleton statuette
African Songye or Luba sculpture depicting a skeleton, not accompanied by information on the object's function.
Satin black patina. Erosions.
The Songye fetish, a magical Nkisi sculpture, nkishi (pl. mankishi), acts as a mediator between gods and humans.
Large-scale specimens are the collective property of an entire village, while smaller figures belong to an individual or a family.
In the 16th century, the Songyes migrated from the Shaba region to settle in Kasai, Katanga, and southern Kivu.
Their society is organized in a patriarchal manner. Their history is inseparable from that of the Luba, to whom they are related through a common ancestry.
Very present in their society, divination allowed the discovery of sorcerers and to shed light on the causes.
Details
Era
After 2000
Material
Wood
Country of Origin
Congo
Condition
Good condition - used with small signs of aging & blemishes
Height
52 cm
Width
12 cm
