Large 20th C. Songye Wood & Iron Community Power Figure

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Ancient / Ethnographic Around The World

By Artemis Gallery

Mar 12, 2020

Set Reminder 2020-03-12 10:00:00 2020-03-12 10:00:00 America/New_York Bidsquare Bidsquare : Ancient / Ethnographic Around The World https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/artemis-gallery/ancient-ethnographic-around-the-world-4957
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• Lot Description
  Central Africa, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Songye peoples, ca. early 20th century CE. A beautiful male community power figure of an enormous size, carved from rich, caramel-hued hardwood, and studded with several petite iron nails. Standing on an integral base he presents with a rigid posture while holding lengthy arms and delineated fingers to his abdomen. The enlarged head bears a prominent chin, protruding lips, and thick metal eyes, with thick iron strips lining the rounded forehead and bulbous nose, and a segmented horn projecting from atop the head. He wears a braided rattan skirt around his waist, a strand of trade beads around his neck, and a textile fetish bundle on one arm. Lustrous patina has developed across the figure and more so on the arms from being carried countless times. A superb figurative example of spiritual Songye artistry! Size: 10.875" W x 46" H (27.6 cm x 116.8 cm); 45.75" H (116.2 cm) on included custom stand.
  
  The use of metal to embellish the eyes of this figure is a traditional Songye practice intended to combat evil spirits and aggressive beings by channeling lightning against them. This piece also demonstrates another practice of Songye statues. The hollowed receptacles in the mouth and below the navel are typically intended for the insertion of fetish material known as Bishimba which imbues the figure with special power. According to Jean-Baptiste Bacquart, "A 'specialist', called the Nganga, then attaches magical objects such as snakeskins, feathers, metal necklaces and bracelets to the figure to enhance the power even more. Occasionally these figures are suspended for apotropaic purposes inside a house by inserting a metal rod under each arm." (Bacquart, Jean-Baptiste. "The Tribal Arts of Africa: Surveying Africa's Artistic Geography." Thames & Hudson, New York, 2000, p. 168)
  
  For a stylistically similar example of a power figure, please see The Metropolitan Museum of Art, accession number 1978.412.569a-c.
  
  Another stylistically similar example, of a smaller size, hammered for EUR 307,500 ($340,479.38) at Christie's, Paris "Futur anterieur: la Collection d'Art africain de Liliane et Michel Durand-Dessert" auction (sale 16410, June 27, 2018, lot 94).
  
  Provenance: private New York, New York, USA collection; ex-private Washington, USA collection
  
  All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.
  
  A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids.
  
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  #149221

  Condition

  Losses to areas of rattan skirt, arms, body, and base as shown. Abrasions and fissures to integral base, body, and head, with extensive but inactive insect damage, slight bending to some iron components, and fading to original pigmentation. Wonderful patina and faint traces of original pigment throughout.
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