Teke ancestor figure
€200.00
African statues and fetishes among the Teke
This uniquely styled and miniaturised African Teke statue is harmoniously carved in a beautiful balance. The expressive face is topped by a crest, which suggests that the ancestor represented must have been a chief or a person of high rank. The patina of the statue shows that it was activated by the addition of magical substances, a consecration for the Teke fetishes which, during a ritual ceremony and following a precise process, invited an ancestral spirit to come and inhabit the object in order to favour the well-being of its descendants. Given the size of this statue, we assume that it was intended to be carried on one's person, a portable fetish conferring great confidence and absolute security.
Shipping fees
01735
Data sheet
- Presumed dating
- Circa 1920
- Size
- 10 cm
- Ethnic group
- Material(s)
- Wood, sacrificial materials
- Country
- Origin
- Tribal art collection Belgium
- Stand
- Included
- Condition
- Excellent
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African statues and fetishes among the Teke
This uniquely styled and miniaturised African Teke statue is harmoniously carved in a beautiful balance. The expressive face is topped by a crest, which suggests that the ancestor represented must have been a chief or a person of high rank. The patina of the statue shows that it was activated by the addition of magical substances, a consecration for the Teke fetishes which, during a ritual ceremony and following a precise process, invited an ancestral spirit to come and inhabit the object in order to favour the well-being of its descendants. Given the size of this statue, we assume that it was intended to be carried on one's person, a portable fetish conferring great confidence and absolute security.