50 - Fetish statue

Fetish statue with a broad sagittal crest Wood with a reddish-brown patina; signs of age. Teke, Democratic Republic of the Congo, before 1930. H: 40 cm Provenance: Georges Valmier (1885–1937), Cubist painter. Among the Teke people, this figure represents a known ancestor, the inkwii, whom the owner consults for advice and protection. The sculptor shapes only the base; it is the ritualist who brings it to life by placing magical substances in the cavity of the belly, which the owner then revives with breath, kola, or palm wine. Chiefs would invoke these figures before major deliberations, and the most imposing ones watched over the village during epidemics. Many lost their function before arriving in Europe; this is the case here, where the now-empty cavity stands as the sole testament to that role. This specimen is distinguished by its broad sagittal crest, which extends upward from a hieratic face with coffee-bean-shaped eyes, a slender nose, and an open mouth. The cylindrical torso, with the arms pressed against the body, opens into a rectangular abdominal cavity, and the slightly bent knees lend dynamism to the pose. The precision of the forms and the sweep of the crest give this effigy an intense presence. Documentary references: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, ancestor figure, Teke, 19th century, inv. 2019.477.3. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, nkiba or butti ancestor figure, Teke (Fumu) or Kongo (Bembe), 19th–early 20th century, inv. 1978.412.475.