Statue(s) (1) - Wood - fetish - KUSU - DR Congo

Ex. private collection - Menen - Belgium, 1st half of 20th century Size: 40x12x12cm Weight: 2. 3kg (with stand) Rare fetish statue made of hard wood, beautiful patina from the Kusu ethnic group in DR Congo. This beautiful Kusu fetish has a kind of cavity at the top of the head serving as a receptacle for ointments or "magic" materials. (see photo) The history of the Kusu is shared with that of the Nkutshu and Tetela tribes, all of whom came from the northwest of their present location in the Congo. They moved through the territories of Luba, Songye and Hemba, and acquired social customs and learning styles along the way. Much of the Kusu culture is therefore comparable to that of their neighbors. We find Luba-style chief's chairs, and figures of ancestors influenced by Hemba culture. The Hemba also provided the model of the Kabeja type Janiform statuettes and their magic charges "carried" on the head. Primitive arts and African masks Private collection