Cane pende Democratic Republic of the Congo - Lot 41

Cane pende Democratic Republic of the Congo Wood, natural pigments, black and red Length: 134 cm Provenance C. Requier, Verviers, Belgium, author of a survey report on the Kasongo-Lunda chiefdom, province of Léeopoldville, Kasongo-Lunda territory, 1930 Lot 75, christie's Paris, June 15, 2010 French private collection Literature: De Sousberghe, L'Art Pende, Brussels, 1959, fig. 149. ---- Pende cane, Democratic Republic of the Congo Wood, natural pigments, black and red Length: 134 cm Provenances: C. Requier, Verviers, Belgium, author of an investigation report on the Kasongo-Lunda chiefdom, Leeopoldville province, Kasongo-Lunda territory, 1930 Lot 75, Christie's Paris, 15 June 2010 French private collection Literature: De Sousberghe, L'Art Pende, Brussels, 1959, fig. 149. The eastern Kwilu region is distinguished by its mihango carved palaver canes, a veritable signature of its art. These objects were used by the ngambi (whose literal translation means "judges" or "orators") during legal negotiations, supporting the clan's position by invoking the support of the ancestors. At the end of the speeches, accompanied by theatrical performances combining song and dance, the canes were driven into the ground. The next day, the judge delivered his verdict by applying white kaolin to the cane of the victorious clan. The corpus of these sticks of justice is a variation on the human figure. Zoe S. Strother points out that "the human form refers to the witchcraft that strengthens the spirit-worker" [...], the latter being "linked to the cane that supports the lawyer charged with pleading a family's cause." Some canes are surmounted by heads or statuettes sculpted in the round; in other examples, the head overhangs a lozenge with a central face. More rarely, an openwork lozenge schematically representing the body is surmounted by a head, like our object. The composition exudes a subtle dynamism, underlined by the slight curvature of the diamond's edges, which abstractly evoke bent legs. In contrast, the head, resting on a long, straight neck, expresses wisdom and hieraticism, conveying the rigor and integrity of justice. This sculptural tension is accentuated by the red and white polychromy of the head, contrasting with the black patina of the diamond-shaped structure and bun headdress. The face condenses into its features the "original" Pende style, which Frans. M. Olbrechts was one of the first to define: a rounded forehead, an unbroken line of eyebrows, lowered upper eyelids, a small, broad nose and a half-open oval mouth. While this style is characterized by the above-mentioned distinctive features, it is nevertheless part of a broader, more nuanced whole. The artistic and cultural tradition of the "classic" Pende style originated in the central region between the Kwilu and Loange rivers. Under the influence of complex interactions, this style spread widely to other Pende regions and neighboring peoples, making the distinction between styles and sub-styles more nuanced. Léon de Sousberghe himself admits, in his reference work L'Art Pende (1959), to the existence of a multiple, evolving style, marked by inter-ethnic exchanges and influences, documenting, for example, the acquisition by certain Pende groups of objects from other regions. Collected by C. Requier, a Belgian colonial administration official who carried out a survey the Kasongo-Lunda chiefdom, in the province of Leopoldville, in 1930, our object is an exquisite testimony to the artistic production of the Pende. a refined testimony to the artistic production of Kwilu palaver canes, while at the same time embodying, through the fusion of regional influences, a remarkable expression of the "classic" Pende style. --- The eastern region of Kwilu is distinguished by its carved palaver canes, true signature of his art. These items were used by the ngambi (literally translated as "judges" or "speakers") in court negotiations, supporting the clan's position by invoking ancestral support. At the end of the speeches, accompanied by theatrical performances mixing songs and dances, the canes were driven into the ground. The next day, the judge rendered his verdict by applying white kaolin on the cane of the victorious clan. The corpus of these justice sticks consists of a variation around the human figure. Zoe S. Strother says that "the human form refers to sorcery which strengthens the worker-mind", [...] the latter being "linked to the cane which supports the lawyer charged with pleading the case of a family." Some canes are surmounted by heads or statuettes carved in round-hump; in other examples, the head overlooks a diamond with a cent