Figure - Kakudji - Luba - DR Congo

• Kakudji statue, Luba

• Democratic Republic of the Congo

• Dimensions: 33.5 × 13 cm

• Weight: 1.040 kg

• Materials: wood, horn, bone, antelope hide, trade beads, tapestry nails

• Period: late 19th/early 20th century

• Provenance: former German collection; Lot no. 328 of the 91st tribal art sale of the Zemanek-Münster auction house (2019); former Austrian collection

— Kakudji fetishes exist among several ethnic groups such as the Luba and Kusu, which makes precise identification difficult. According to Marc Léo Félix, these statuettes, actually called "munsinju", are fixed on a steel stake or stored in a basket by Nganga fetishists. The size of this Kakudji figure leaves no doubt and belongs to the first category mentioned by Marc Léo Félix and would therefore have been fixed to a metal stake in the ground.
The top of the figurine has retained its "bijimba" (fetish material) in its headdress, and the material should still be present there (see photo no. 5)

— Some photographs of similar figures with their magical charges are attached to photos no. 6, previously owned by Alan Mann, London, UK; no. 7. Marcel Dumoulin, Brussels B. photo circa 1930 and no. 8. African runner, 1978
Photo source: JSTOR

— With eyes made from two tapestry nails, it can be compared to the Kusu figure by Pierre Dartevelle that was sold on June 8, 2022 at Sotheby’s. (lot 13) (see photos no. 9 and no. 10)
Photo source: Sotheby’s

— This Kakudji figure is sold with its pedestal (see photo no. 4)

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— Careful, insured delivery with tracking number (Bpost)