Description: wood, rep. (base), on pedestal This idealized portrait commemorated and honored the lifetime accomplishments of a deceased male ancestor. With its serene expression the figure embodies the dignity and wisdom of a respected elder. As spiritual mediators between the living and the dead, these figures were preserved in a shrine, where they were paid homage with prayers and blood sacrifices. The figures also provided a powerful ideological message about family continuity and legitimized the political authority inherited by the ancestor?s living kin. Continent: Africa
Dimensions: H: 56 cm, H: 22,0 inch
Condition Report: See description
Literature: Neyt, Francois, La Grande Statuaire Hemba du Zaire, Louvain-la-Neuve 1977
Provenance: Ludwig Bretschneider, Munich, Germany (1972)