A Hemba Kabeja Janus Idol Ex Banks Collection

A Finely carved old wooden magic Idol in Janus form known as Kabeja from the Hemba peoples, DRC/ Congo, central Africa. Typically such an idol would be a prized possession of the chief and kept away from women, it is present at each important moment of the Hemba cult.According to François Neyt in La grande statuaire Hemba du Zaïre It is clear that the Kabeja Makua is the fundamental object of the Hemba cult, including the cult of the ancestors. The Male & female idol measures 10.5 inches tall, 13.25 inches tall on professional custom wooden base. Provenance: Ex Robert Banks collection, Md. USA.
Condition Report: Good, eroded base custom fit in stand. what remains is stable