351 - NTADI, FUNERARY FIGURE - DR Congo - Kongo

NTADI, FUNERARY FIGURE - DR Congo - Kongo First half of the 20th century. Granite. Dimensions: 40 cm. Ntadi, meaning “guardian” or “stone” in the Kikongo language, is a sculpture representing the deceased, which was placed on the grave of a member of the nobility (clan chief or dignitary). This portrait represents the vessel containing the deceased’s life force and serves as a protector between the living and the ancestors. Our statue depicts a male figure seated on a stool and holding a scepter whose pommel is an anthropomorphic figure, a symbol of authority. He wears a headdress, the Mpu, featuring interlacing line motifs, as do the forearm bands, typical of the Kongo style. His bowed head, luumbu (the thinker’s posture), evokes sadness but also attentive listening to the messages of the ancestors. Condition: Crack at the base of the stool; small chip on the back of the headdress. Research and documentation: Coryse Mwape, art historian specializing in ancient African art. Internal ref.: 259