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MILLON
236
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Sceptre or chieftain's staff showing a crouching female figu…
See original version (French)
236
-
Sceptre or chieftain's staff showing a crouching female figu…
See original version (French)
Estimate €500 - €800
Voluntary lot
Description
Sceptre or chieftain's staff showing a crouching female figure on a cubic pedestal.
Wood, very old honey patina.
Small side chip, marks of time.
Vili, Republic of Congo, probably 19th century.
23 × 3.9 cm
The Vili belong to the cultural area of the Loango kingdom, which was active on the Atlantic coast of Congo from the 16th century onwards, structured around powerful chiefdoms that controlled trade and commercial networks. Power was associated with visible insignia, such as sceptres and canes, worn by chiefs and dignitaries.
The crouching female figure, with its distinctive scarification marks and nurturing gesture, evokes notions of fertility, transmission and the legitimacy of power. She embodies a founding figure, guaranteeing the continuity of the group. Integrated into a sceptre, this image helps to assert authority and symbolically anchor the chief in a lineage and a territory.
See original version (French)
Auto-translation. Refer to original language for legal validity.
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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