Statue Tabwa - DR Congo

Origin. Democratic Republic of the Congo
Tribe name. Tabwa
Material. Wood
Dimensions. 50 cm
Shipping method. Colissimo within 24–48 hours

This Tabwa female statue (from the Lake Tanganyika region, spanning the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Zambia, and Tanzania) displays the traditional stylistic and iconographic characteristics of this ancestral art.
​Here is a detailed description of the piece:
​1. Morphology and posture
​Hieratic posture: The statue is shown standing, in a frontal, rigid, symmetrical pose that conveys great dignity.
​Limbs: The arms run straight down alongside the body. The legs are bent at the prominent knees, firmly anchoring the sculpture to its base.
​Proportions: The torso is slender and cylindrical or column-shaped, typical of Tabwa statuary.
​2. Bodily attributes and face
​Scarification and headdress: The face and forehead are adorned with raised scarification or dotted geometric patterns (aligned dots), reinforcing the cultural identity and clan aesthetic. The hairstyle forms a helmet or rounded hut-like shape encircling the crown of the head.
​Facial features: The eyes are half-closed, giving the figure an introspective or divinatory gaze. The nose is straight and pronounced, above a mouth with full, tightly closed lips.
​Attributes and ornaments: The neck is adorned with a rigid necklace or rows of beads carved from the same piece of wood. The chest is marked by subtle yet distinct breasts, while the navel is prominent and raised—a powerful symbol of life and lineage in many Central African cultures.
​3. Patina and material
​Material: Carved from hardwood, the piece is covered with a dark brown patina, bearing witness to its age, ritual handling, and traditional libations or anointings.
​Function: This type of sculpture traditionally served to honor ancestors, reinforce the authority or power of chiefs and elders, or was used in contexts related to fertility and the clan's protective rites.