Hemba Singiti ancestor figure
€675.00
Carved wooden male figure attributable to the Hemba people of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, belonging to the celebrated tradition of ancestral portraits known as singiti. The figure displays the frontal, hieratic stance associated with this sculptural tradition, with an elongated neck, meditative almond-shaped eyes and a carefully worked coiffure. Incised scarification on the cheeks adds a particularly strong graphic quality.
Among the Hemba, singiti were commemorative portraits of deceased chiefs. Rather than functioning as strictly naturalistic likenesses, they embodied an idealised image of leadership, perpetuating the authority and presence of a distinguished ancestor within the lineage. Such figures were kept by chiefs in restricted spaces and played an important role in affirming genealogical and political continuity. Particular emphasis was traditionally placed on the head, associated with knowledge, and the abdomen, linked to lineage and descent.
This example displays several hallmarks of the tradition: strong verticality, an introspective expression, carefully articulated coiffure and an emphasis on the head and face. Its dark, time-worn surface lends the sculpture an austere and compelling presence.
Shipping fees
02792
Data sheet
- Presumed dating
- Mid XXth century
- Size
- 37 cm
- Ethnic group
- Material(s)
- Wood
- Country
- Origin
- B. Berete Collection
- Stand
- Included
- Condition
- Very good
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Carved wooden male figure attributable to the Hemba people of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, belonging to the celebrated tradition of ancestral portraits known as singiti. The figure displays the frontal, hieratic stance associated with this sculptural tradition, with an elongated neck, meditative almond-shaped eyes and a carefully worked coiffure. Incised scarification on the cheeks adds a particularly strong graphic quality.
Among the Hemba, singiti were commemorative portraits of deceased chiefs. Rather than functioning as strictly naturalistic likenesses, they embodied an idealised image of leadership, perpetuating the authority and presence of a distinguished ancestor within the lineage. Such figures were kept by chiefs in restricted spaces and played an important role in affirming genealogical and political continuity. Particular emphasis was traditionally placed on the head, associated with knowledge, and the abdomen, linked to lineage and descent.
This example displays several hallmarks of the tradition: strong verticality, an introspective expression, carefully articulated coiffure and an emphasis on the head and face. Its dark, time-worn surface lends the sculpture an austere and compelling presence.