193 - Ndengese (Kuba) female statuette, Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Ndengese (Kuba) female statuette, Democratic Republic of the Congo. An elegant standing female figure with a long, ringed neck, featuring a finely sculpted face and a hairstyle adorned with geometric motifs. The body is distinguished by a particularly prominent navel and an exceptional abundance of scarification patterns, combining concentric circles, herringbone patterns, and geometric compositions on the shoulders, back, and limbs. This remarkable ornamentation evokes the documented artistic affinities between the Ndengese and Luluwa traditions in the Kasai region. Wood with a deep, lustrous brown-black patina, showing subtle signs of wear. Comparative references: Constantijn Petridis, “A Figure for Cibola,” Metropolitan Museum Journal, vol. 36, 2001, notably p. 249, regarding the stylistic parallels between the Ndengese and Luluwa traditions.Millon, Paris, December 7, 2018, lot 125, Kuba-Dengese female statuette, height 34 cm, formerly in the collection of the Musée de Saint-Cyprien. Height: 32.5 cm