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MILLON
161
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Kabeja" male-female Janus fetish
Wood, old brown patina, mar…
See original version (French)
161
-
Kabeja" male-female Janus fetish
Wood, old brown patina, mar…
See original version (French)
Estimate €300 - €400
Voluntary lot
Description
Kabeja" male-female Janus fetish
Wood, old brown patina, marks of use
Luba Hemba, Democratic Republic of Congo
23.5 × 8.5 × 10.5 cm
Provenance :
Collected in Katanga (Belgian Congo) between 1952 and 1970 by Charles Mahauden, a Belgian colonial administrator nicknamed Kisongokimo by the Grand Chief of the Baluba.
Author of : Mahauden, Charles, Kisongokimo - Chasse et magie chez les Balubas, Paris, Flammarion, coll. "L'Aventure vécue", 1965, 252 p.
These Janus figures known as "Kabeja" belong to the sculptural traditions of the Luba Hemba groups in the Katanga region. Combining masculine and feminine principles in the same sculpture, they evoke the balance of complementary forces necessary for the harmony of the lineage, fertility and protection of the group. The hands placed on the belly in a nurturing gesture reinforce this idea of mediation and vital continuity.
The two figures, male and female, each have their own body, united in a single sculpted entity. This construction reinforces the symbolism of complementarity and the union of forces. The softness of the volumes, the balance of the composition and the overall symmetry give this work a particularly strong inner presence and great graphic power.
H: 23.5 x W: 8.5 x D: 10.5 cm
See original version (French)
Auto-translation. Refer to original language for legal validity.
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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