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Estimate €800 - €1,200
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Description
MAMBILA Kike mambila statuette. 20th century. Height: 54 cm. Medium-weight wood. Dark patina with traces of red and white pigments. The head combines human and reptilian (?) features. The wide-open mouth reveals teeth covered in white plaster and a tongue coated in red pigments. The posture, with the legs bent and ready to pounce, conveys defensive aggression. The open mouth revealing the teeth and the protruding tongue is a sign of the ‘devouring word’. Provenance: Pierre Redouin Collection. Description: Within the Suaga ritual complex, this type of statuette served as a witness during the settlement of disputes or the taking of oaths. It was believed that if a person lied in the presence of the statuette, it would ‘devour’ the guilty party’s vital energy. The teeth symbolise the spirit’s ability to bite or physically punish the perjurer. As with the Kongo, the protruding tongue symbolises the activation of power. It shows that the spirit is ‘on the hunt’ or has already consumed the ritual substances (chilli, ginger, sacrificial blood) offered to it. Because it is female, this statuette is intrinsically linked to reproduction, both human and agricultural. As a guardian of harvests placed near granaries, her aggressive posture and open mouth served to scare off thieves and, above all, malevolent spirits seeking to wither the seeds.
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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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