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sculpture of an elephant with a skull on its backa close up of a wooden statue on a black backgrounda wooden statue of a man with a hat on his heada wooden sculpture of a man with a helmet on his heada wooden sculpture of a man with a bird ' s head on his heada wooden statue of a man with a hat on his headan image of a statue of a man with a skull on his heada statue of a skull in a hood with a bird perched on it ' s headan image of a wooden sculpture of a cow with a black backgroundan image of a sculpture of a man ' s head on top of a rocka close up of a sculpture of a bird on top of a rock
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56 - TÉKÉ Janiform Téké statuette of the mpwaw type.
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Estimate €800 - €1,200
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Description
TÉKÉ Janiform Téké statuette of the mpwaw type. 20th century. Height: 52 cm. Hardwood with a crusty patina and traces of resin. Provenance: Pierre Redouin Collection. Bibliography: Published in *Le Souffle des Esprits*, Les Éditions de l’Amateur, Pierre & Hadrien Redouin, 2012, p. 167. Description: The Janus-faced mpwaw statuettes are a very specific and powerful variant of Téké statuary. They share the basic aesthetic codes of butti statues, but their ‘Janus’-like form confers upon them a special status within the ritual hierarchy. The two faces display perfect symmetry. This two-faced, bisexual form expresses the fetish’s ability to monitor its surroundings in a 360° radius. It sees danger from both the front and the back. One face is associated with the world of the ancestors (the past) and the other with the world of the living and of future endeavours (the future). The mpwaw sees both. Finally, the juxtaposed presence of the masculine and the feminine expresses both the fetish’s ability to perceive the duality of the two sexes and that of day (public life) and night (the world of dreams and witchcraft). The form of the mpwaw is stockier than that of butti statues. The torso is almost cylindrical in shape, with a slight ovoid curve. The arms are integrated into the ovoid shape of the body. On either side, a ventral cavity contains materials imbued with mystical powers: a young monkey’s skull on one side and a mollusc shell on the other serve as spirit traps. The legs are half-bent, ready to spring, and rest on rounded feet. The headdress is moon-shaped, with its pointed tip drooping down in front of the face (in the style of certain ancient Teke male headdresses known as mupani). The ears are C-shaped. The fine, regular scarifications typical of the Teke world (mabina), which serve as a mark of identity, adorn the face. Viewed from the front, the nose forms a triangle. The rectangular mouth is extended by a square-sectioned beard typical of the Butti style. Whilst a Butti statuette is used for everyday purposes (success in the hunt, good health), the mpwaw statuette is, in principle, dedicated to more serious functions, notably tracking down the soul-eaters who operate in the shadows.
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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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