Hemba Singiti ancestor figure
Cult of ancestors in the tradition of Zaïre
Superb African statue representing an ancestor. These traditional statues were sculpted by Hemba artists to represent a deceased person. They are called singiti. Long considered to be an integral part of the Luba artistic corpus, it was not until very late, at the beginning of the second half of the 20th century, that experts considered Hemba statuary to be in its own right.
We find the very naturalistic and aesthetic approach. The anatomical elements are nicely represented: facial features, lines in the back, muscles of the arms,... The feet are missing as on the examples of Hemba statues at the Royal Museum for Central Africa that we see in the photo attached.
The headdress is pulled back, in the manner of the Luba, and decorated with a cross at the back. The neck is ringed.
Cf. The great Hemba statuary of Zaire, F. NEYT, U.C.L. African arts
02098
Data sheet
- Size
- 60 cm (including support)
- Ethnic group
- Material(s)
- Wood, accessories
- Country
- Stand
- Included
- Condition
- Vintage
You might also like
Cult of ancestors in the tradition of Zaïre
Superb African statue representing an ancestor. These traditional statues were sculpted by Hemba artists to represent a deceased person. They are called singiti. Long considered to be an integral part of the Luba artistic corpus, it was not until very late, at the beginning of the second half of the 20th century, that experts considered Hemba statuary to be in its own right.
We find the very naturalistic and aesthetic approach. The anatomical elements are nicely represented: facial features, lines in the back, muscles of the arms,... The feet are missing as on the examples of Hemba statues at the Royal Museum for Central Africa that we see in the photo attached.
The headdress is pulled back, in the manner of the Luba, and decorated with a cross at the back. The neck is ringed.
Cf. The great Hemba statuary of Zaire, F. NEYT, U.C.L. African arts