Ngbaka statuette, Democratic Republic of Congo - Lot 25

Ngbaka statuette, Democratic Republic of Congo XIX-XX° century Wood, light-toned patina, some missing parts, pedestal base Height: 27.5 cm - Width 8 cm Provenance: French private collection ---- Ngbaka figure, Democratic Republic of Congo 19th-20th century Wood, patina of use with light tones, some gaps, soclée Height: 27.5 cm - Width 8 cm Provenance: French private collection The Ubangi region of Central Africa spans three different countries: the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Sudan. Home to a group of societies with strong historical, linguistic and anthropological interrelationships, as Grootaers (2007: 17) notes, "the crossing of a variety of borders has created a vast melting pot, an 'Ubangian cultural zone' - as problematic as this term may be", aesthetic influences have transcended borders. Among Ngbaka creations, male and female figures appear to be placed in shrines. Intermediary and embodiment of the mythical ancestor Sètò and his sister-wife, Nàbo. As Burssens notes (in Grootaers 2007: 121 ff., emphasis added): "The Ngbaka call their Supreme Being Gàlè, and the cult dedicated to him was more important than such cults were elsewhere in Ubangi. Gàlè was the source of life and the bearer of fertility for women. At the entrance to a dwelling, a fast-growing kapok (gìlà) would be planted in his honor. Yet, despite his importance, in everyday life other supernatural beings were more important. Ngbaka myths reveal the existence of another Great Spirit, Gbògbòsò (also spelled Gbaso), the creator of heaven and earth, water and fire, plants and animals. People owed their existence to another being, Sètò or To, who is visible every night in the constellation Orion and is also the most important hero of Ngbaka's fables. He would have a sanctuary, a toa, next to that of the ancestors. Sometimes, two wooden statuettes were placed nearby, one male and one female, representing Sètò and his sister-wife, Nàbo. Although Sètò was considered the first - albeit mythical - ancestor, the ancestors themselves were never represented." Here, the male ancestor Seto is depicted, small in stature, with a simplified, schematized body, carved in hard wood with a dark patina. His arms stand out from his massive torso, plunging delicately backwards into the accentuated movement of his shoulders, and his small legs give him a striking dynamic. The sobriety of her facial features is combined with a sophisticated attention to detail: the angular chin, the face split in two by a raised nasal bridge, the finely engraved headdress. --- The Ubangi region in central Africa covers three different countries: the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Sudan. Home to a group of societies with strong historical, linguistic and anthropological interrelationships, as noted by Grootaers (2007: 17), "crossing a variety of borders has created a vast melting pot, an 'Ubangian cultural zone' - as problematic as the term may be." The aesthetic influences have crossed the borders. Among the Ngbaka creations, male and female figures appear to be placed in shrines. Intermediary and incarnation of the mythical ancestor Sètò and his sister-wife, Nàbo. As Burssens notes (in Grootaers 2007: 121 et seq., emphasis added): "The Ngbaka call their Supreme Being Gàlè, and the cult dedicated to him was more important than these cults were elsewhere in Ubangi. Gàlè was the source of life and the bearer of fertility in women. At the entrance of a dwelling, a fast-growing kapok (gìlà) would be planted in his honor. Yet, despite its importance, in daily life other supernatural beings were more important. Ngbaka's myths reveal the existence of another Great Spirit, Gbògbòsò (also spelled Gbaso), the creator of heaven and earth, water and fire, plants and animals. People owed their existence to another being, Sètò or To, who is visible every night in the constellation of Orion and who is also the most important hero of Ngbaka's fables. He would have a sanctuary, a toa next to that of the ancestors. Sometimes two wooden statuettes were placed nearby, one male and one female, representing Sètò and his sister-wife, Nàbo. Although Sètò was considered the first - albeit mythical - ancestor, the ancestors themselves were never represented." Here this specimen embodies the male ancestor Seto, of small size the schematized body, simplified, inscribed in a hard wood, with dark patina, the arms detaching from the massive bust, gently plunging backwards in the accentuated movement