Full front view
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Full side view
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Upper body
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In the middle of the 18th century the Mangbetu people left the Sudan and re-located their kingdom in the north-eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Mangbetu art, famous for its realism, is a court art. Royal celebrations, which took place in large vaulted sheds, were opportunities for exhibiting objects of luxury and refinement. Most Mangbetu art was reserved for ruling class and was secular (non-religious) in nature. Wooden figures are believed to be ancestral portraits. Harps and trumpets that were used by court musicians were often adorned with sculpted human heads. Decorated thrones and knives were also part of the royal regalia.
The Mangbetu tradition of compressing an infant's head with raffia in order to obtain an elongated skull is apparent in the statues. The elongation is further enhanced by a high coiffure finishing in a cup-like finial.
Approximate dimensions: 110 cm (H) x 22 cm (W) x 29 cm (D)
Weight: 7,8 kg
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