Tabwa statuette, DRC. - Lot 155

Tabwa statuette, DRC. African Tabwa statuette, recognizable by its linear scarification marks composed of small checkerboard patterns. The figure is in a frontal position, with graceful arms parallel to the bust and hands placed on the abdomen. Orange-brown lustrous patina. Abrasions, slight cracks 29 x 6 cm The Tabwa ("to scarify" and "to write") are an ethnic group found in southeastern DRC, around Lake Tanganyika. Tribes in this region, such as the Tumbwe, worship the Mipasi ancestors through sculptures held by chiefs or sorcerers. Simple farmers with no centralized power, the Tabwa federated around tribal chiefs after coming under the influence of the Luba. It was mainly during this period that their artistic movement was expressed through statues and masks. The Tabwa practiced ancestor worship and dedicated some of their statues to the ancestors. Animist, their beliefs are rooted in the ngulu, nature spirits found in plants and rocks. Source: "Trésors d'Afrique" ed. Musée de Tervuren.