Bwende - DR Congo (No reserve price)

This doll-like head, resembling a child's puppet, is a scaled-down version of the famous NIOMBO, a funerary anthropomorphic bundle sometimes of giant size representing the deceased among the Bwende. The NIOMBOs were buried during funerals as part of ancestor worship rituals. It is made of ossuary in basketry, wrapped in textile, and was kept in the chief's house.
The Vili, Lâri, Sûnde, Woyo, Bembe, Bwende, Yombe, and Kôngo formed the Kongo group, led by King NTOTELA. Their kingdom reached its peak in the 16th century with the trade of ivory, copper, and the trafficking of exiles.
Similarly, beliefs and traditions produce statues endowed with gestures, codified in relation to the worldview. The sculptures of the Bwende have been heavily inspired by those of their neighboring Beembe.