Nkanu statue, Congo - Lot 130

Nkanu statue, Congo This drummer sculpture comes from the Nkanu people of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. They live from agriculture along the Lufimi River. Their villages are grouped in clusters of four or five under the authority of a local chief who heads the families. Drummers are also featured on carved wooden panels exhibited during initiation rites. Among the Kongo and Yaka, the sound of the drum covered the moans of circumcision, chased away malevolent spirits and encouraged future initiates. A similar piece was donated by François Edouard Cabra in 1903 to the Royal Museum for Central Africa in Tervuren. Large eye sockets surround the pupils of the figure, whose physiognomy is reminiscent of Yaka statuary. The face, coated with white clay and reddish pigments, is characteristic of the Nkanu. The musician's feet, astride the drum, disappear into a circular base. Satin patina. A deep groove runs from the neck to the crest. A section of the nose is missing. Cracks. 42 x 16 cm