Suku fetish statue, DRC - Lot 142

Suku fetish statue, DRC Suku chiefs made use of fetishes called bwene ,bisungu representing the clan ancestor, such as this angular-edged sculpture. The figure seems to draw the viewer's attention to the long, narrow beard adorning his face, beneath a spectacular mouth projecting in a diamond shape. Dark patina with reddish highlights, revealing the subtle veining of the wood. Cracks 35 x 8 cm The Suku and Yaka ethnic groups are geographically close to each other in the Kwango region of southwestern Democratic Republic of Congo, and share the same social and political structure, as well as similar cultural practices. They can only be differentiated by their stylistic variations. Their carved wooden figures - through which they honor the ancestors - and their mask-heaumes are renowned.