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Description
VILI
Autopsy table
20th century.
Height: 144 cm.
Heavy wood, fragments of white, red and black paint.
The face of this full-length figure has a deeply contemplative and inquisitive expression. The eyes are made of glass (alluding to the ability to see the invisible). The teeth are steel spikes and are curiously reminiscent of forms often found in Mbédé sculptures. The umbilical cord is clearly defined.
Provenance:
Pierre Redouin Collection.
Bibliography:
Published in *Le Souffle des Esprits*, Les Éditions de l’Amateur, Pierre & Hadrien Redouin, 2012, p. 116.
Description:
This type of board was used to carry out an autopsy on a deceased person whose death was deemed suspicious. Placed on the floor with its four legs resting on the ground and supporting the deceased’s head, this type of board was used to carry out post-mortem examinations as part of a funeral ritual. The aim was to identify the mystical cause of death. The death of an individual (especially if they were young or if death had occurred suddenly) was rarely considered natural. An act of witchcraft (dikundu) or a breach of a clan taboo was suspected. The autopsy was then carried out by the nganga, assisted by witnesses from both families (paternal and maternal). The board served as the ritual support for the examination of the body, which took place away from the village, in a sacred place or in the forest. The nganga would make an incision to examine the internal organs, in particular the heart, lungs and spleen. The aim was to look for the presence of ‘kundu’ (which manifested as cysts, nodules or unusual discolouration). When such signs were found, this ‘proved’ that the deceased was himself a sorcerer or that he had fallen victim to a ‘soul-eater’.
This ritual procedure served several purposes. If no such signs were found, the deceased’s honour was restored, their memory honoured and their family spared from public disgrace. In some cases, the condition of the organs enabled the nganga to symbolically identify the caster of the spell that had caused the death. Once the cause was known, the spirits were appeased and the appropriate rites of passage could be performed to ensure that the soul did not become a wandering or vengeful spirit.
See original version (French)
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About the sale
The Breath of the Spirits: The Collection of Pierre Redouin and Others
Auction location
Auction time
09/24/2026 at 2:30 PM
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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