SONGYE
SONGYE
Female Songye fetish in the Kalebwe Ya Ntambwe style (Tshofa region).
20th century.Height: 80 cmWood with a brown patina, metal strips, feathers, animal skins, beads, plant fibres, shells. Metal, in the form of copper plates and nails, dominates the entire face, which is surmounted by a horn inserted into the skull, iron strips and feathers (now missing). A moustache (now missing), made of black hairs, added to the severity of the face. The neck is encircled by two beaded necklaces, one white and the other red. The arms are of equal shape and end in trapezium-shaped hands. The navel is prominently marked by a brass hemisphere pointing towards the stomach. In the lower section, numerous ‘spirit traps’ endow the fetish with significant powers: animal skins, horns, ropes, small bells, shells and a figurine made of light wood. The whole piece is based on a half-spherical structure woven from sturdy wickerwork.
SONGYE
Female Songye fetish in the Kalebwe Ya Ntambwe style (Tshofa region).
20th century.Height: 80 cmWood with a brown patina, metal strips, feathers, animal skins, beads, plant fibres, shells. Metal, in the form of copper plates and nails, dominates the entire face, which is surmounted by a horn inserted into the skull, iron strips and feathers (now missing). A moustache (now missing), made of black hairs, added to the severity of the face. The neck is encircled by two beaded necklaces, one white and the other red. The arms are of equal shape and end in trapezium-shaped hands. The navel is prominently marked by a brass hemisphere pointing towards the stomach. In the lower section, numerous ‘spirit traps’ endow the fetish with significant powers: animal skins, horns, ropes, small bells, shells and a figurine made of light wood. The whole piece is based on a half-spherical structure woven from sturdy wickerwork.
