Songye Community Power Figure, Democratic Republic of the Congo

Photographed in situ by Karel Plasmans in the central Songye region, 1960s
Reportedlly with Mrs. Vaninne, Belgium, 1970s
Pierre Loos, Brussels
Merton D. Simpson, New York (inv. no. "4795"), acquired from the above in March 1985
Mourtalla Diop, New York, acquired from the above on May 13, 1989
Allan Stone, New York, acquired from the above

Dunja Hersak, "Reviewing Power, Process, and Statement: The Case of Songye Figures", African Arts, Vol. 43, No. 2, Summer 2010, p. 41

This massive and ancient figure bears a dark, oily, rubbed surface from years of ritual handling.  it was photographed in situ by Karel Plasmans prior to its collection in the 1960s, where it was seen atop a tall stool, attesting to the figure's important status as it was not allowed to touch the ground, and bound at the arms to two poles for transporting the figure.  The huge, almost spherical head is surmounted by a finial which despite its form is not in fact an animal horn but rather a separately-carved piece of wood modeled as one.  The deep encrustation of the surface of the 'horn' attests to this arrangement as part of the original conception of the sculpture.