Teke Buti fetish figure
Ancestral worship, magic and tribal art
This beautifully carved wooden African statue is a buti fetish originating from the Teke ethnic group in the Republic of Congo. It is actually a reliquary figure sometimes also called butti or nkiba used to physically embody the ancestral spirits called ikwii.
Buti statues such as this one are identified as male ancestors and are placed in a shrine specifically for the deceased family. The buti was invoked in order to answer questions in the context of solving personal problems.
The large cavity that we see dug in the trunk accommodates the bonga medicinal charge that makes up the physical and conceptual core of the buti. The bonga infuses some sort of inanimate body.
When using the fetish, the owner rings a bell, shakes a rattle whispers in the character's ear.
Upon the death of the owner, the statue is desacralized by removing the magical charge. She then becomes a statue called a tege when devoid of her charge. She is then buried with the deceased.
01660
Data sheet
- Presumed dating
- Circa 1980
- Size
- 50 cm
- Ethnic group
- Material(s)
- Wood
- Country
- Origin
- Tribal art collection Belgium
- Condition
- Vintage
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Ancestral worship, magic and tribal art
This beautifully carved wooden African statue is a buti fetish originating from the Teke ethnic group in the Republic of Congo. It is actually a reliquary figure sometimes also called butti or nkiba used to physically embody the ancestral spirits called ikwii.
Buti statues such as this one are identified as male ancestors and are placed in a shrine specifically for the deceased family. The buti was invoked in order to answer questions in the context of solving personal problems.
The large cavity that we see dug in the trunk accommodates the bonga medicinal charge that makes up the physical and conceptual core of the buti. The bonga infuses some sort of inanimate body.
When using the fetish, the owner rings a bell, shakes a rattle whispers in the character's ear.
Upon the death of the owner, the statue is desacralized by removing the magical charge. She then becomes a statue called a tege when devoid of her charge. She is then buried with the deceased.