Featured African statue

Hello,
Can anyone help ID this African statue? The seller bought it long ago at an estate sale and knows nothing about it apart from being 24 inches high and weighs 7 lbs. it’s wrapped with cloth and bound /restrained with some kind of braided rope.
I’ve done a little research and am leaning towards one of the Congo groups because of the back of the head which looks like a Bena Lulua but that’s just a guess.
Thanks for sharing any knowledge you might have.
Marie

 

Welcome, Marie. Is this something you are considering buying? Think members who may be able to answer you will want larger & more photos. Is that possible?

 

Thanks for the advice, Bronwen. Here are all the photos in a larger size. They were not great quality to begin with.

I actually bought it today on eBay but don’t have it yet. It was an impulse buy based on the super low price and something about the sorrowful face. I’m not sure where I’ll put it. Maybe I just wanted to rescue it. ‍♀️But that’s the nature of impulse buying ...

I’m not expecting it to be worth much or to necessarily have been tribally used, but it’s intriguing and would just like to know if anyone can identify the origin (Kuba, Chokwe, Baule, Yoruba etc), the name and purpose of that particular type of statue. thank you!

 

I am not an expert but I like it, interesting Antiguamarie

 

@Taupou @komokwa @Mark London

 

I think you are correct in placing its origin in the Congo region. But I think it may be made by the Teke. They have a tradition of creating such figures, with bent knees, vertical scarification on the face, and magical materials encased around the torso.

https://www.bruno-mignot.com/galeri...399-statue-cultuelle-buti-teke-rdc-zaire.html

This one has had the magical materials removed:

https://www.african-arts-gallery.com/african-art/Fetish/Statuette-Teke/16921

 

Hi,
Please do NOT remove the roping off your statue. I remember seeing s Karen Black movie where the statue was a demonic spirit which was bound by rope. She removed the rope and ended up killing her mother and other odd sort of things. I usually ignore these things but for some reason it keeps coming up.
greg

 

I don't think Mark London knows much about African art. 2manybooks does.

 

Didn't want him to feel left out.

 

So considerate of you.

 

Suspect it would also reduce the value.

 

Yes, it would.

 

Unfortunately, there is a history of museums and galleries removing the wrappings and magical substances from such figures as these, and Kongo nkisi/nkonde figures. They felt the underlying sculpture was the real artwork and should be revealed. The practice is no longer acceptable, as it destroys the integrity of the artifact (and its monetary value as an ethnographic artwork).

 

Thank you everyone! Especially 2manybooks and also those who gave the warnings about not removing the wrapping.

I came back to say that this morning I found similar photos suggesting it could be a Songye nkisi figure based on a few photos but didn’t get anywhere near the detail you’ve given. That Bruno mignot photo is exactly it.

I’d want to retain its full integrity - but doubt I’ll be able to resist a little peek underneath. From what I see in the photos, someone has already done that so maybe it’ll be ok...

Now I just have to convince my family to allow it into the house and to recognize the beauty, wish me luck and thanks so much again!!

 

Does it have any kind of a smell?

 

Looks like an Airport art piece to me

 

@Bronwen - I’ll let u know about the smell when it arrives. Just bought it yesterday and looks like it’ll ship today.
@blooey - could well be airport art but my gut suggests at least one step up from that. I traveled in and out of Africa for work for 15 years. only “craft center” art was available to me and I’m familiar with what that tends to look like.
This may not have been “tribally used” but the person who carved it had a feel for what they were doing.
Maybe when I get it I’ll be able to tell more and I’ll post again

 

@Bronwen @2manybooks @Any Jewelry I think if I didn’t know what this figure was meant to represent, I wouldn’t have been disappointed to find that under the cloth, the body is not carved. Just an irregular ball shape.

It doesn’t have any smell but it’s covered with fine black powder that covered my hands and fell on the floor. Maybe soot from ageing it? A few holes around one eye could be insect damage.

I still like its expressive face but under the bed it goes until I stop sulking and figure out if it’ll go to Goodwill.
A fake should at least try to be an authentic fake!!
At least it wasn’t expensive....and no evil spirits to worry about @gregsglass
Thanks for all the good info.

 

I guess you should have left him wrapped up, and then you could have just enjoyed the mystery. Sorry he disappointed. But thanks for letting us know.

 

This was on the inside? Something like that happened to me today when I move a large Incolay jewellery box & found it had left a rectangular 'footprint' on the wood beneath it & fluffy black stuff was being shed as I handled it. It was the black felt padding the bottom, with little holes through to the box in places, worked over I believe by moths. I had wondered where they were hanging out.