Tribal Art

The Hemba clan chiefs had several African statues of ancestors to which they made offerings in order to establish their legitimacy. This sculpture presents the criteria associated with Hemba statuary, including the stocky morphology surmounted by an elegant head. The cephalomorphic scepter is also an interesting detail here. Medium brown, ocher matte patina. Desication cracks, erosions.
The Hemba, established in the south-east of Zaire, on the right bank of the Lualaba, were for a long time subject to the neighboring Luba empire, which had a certain influence on their culture. Ancestor worship, whose effigies have long been attributed to the Luba, is central to Hemba society. All aspects of the community are imbued with the authority of the ancestors, having influence over justice, medicine, law and sacrifice. The singiti statues were kept by the fumu mwalo and honored during ceremonies during which sacrifices were offered to them. Alongside the authority of the hereditary chiefs, secret societies, masculine such as the bukazanzi, and feminine, the bukibilo, played a major role within the clan.
(Source: "Treasures of Africa, Tervuren Museum; "Black African Tribal Art" J.B. Bacquart; "Congo River", F.Neyt)