A Fine Holo Seated Female Figure, Angola

the seated female figure with hands clasped to the chin and wearing an elaborate coiffure, with multiple metal rings and a strand of glass beads attached; fine reddish-brown, partially resinous patina.

Peter Loebarth, Hameln
Fred Jahn, Munich

Iowa City, The University of Iowa Museum of Art, Kilengi: African Art from the Bareiss Family Collection, March 27 - May 23, 1999 (for additional venues see bibliography, Roy 1997)

François Neyt, Art traditional et Histoire au Zaïre: Cultures Forestières et Royaumes de la Savane, Louvain, 1981, p. 124, fig. VI.12
François Neyt, The Art of the Holo, Munich, 1982, p. 49, fig. 5
Christopher D. Roy, Kilengi: African Art from the Bareiss Family Collection, Seattle, 1997, pp. 218-219 and 376, fig. 133
--, Kilengi. Afrikanische Kunst aus der Sammlung Bareiss, Hanover, 1997, pp. 222-223 and 381, fig. 133
Christopher D. Roy, "African Art from the Bareiss Collection", African Arts, Summer 1999, vol. XXXII, no. 2, p. 66, fig. 17

good condition overall; base eroded, insect damage to left thigh and abdomen and lower back (large parts of the inside of the torso are hollowed out with a thin outside wall remaining; minor age cracks and areas of abrasion, wear and tear; fine reddish-brown, partially resinous patina.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

This important figure is the majestic representation of a Holo queen. According to Neyt (1982: 37), this "Holo dya Mukhetu is represented as sitting on a cylindrical base, arms and hands leading up to the chin, the face dominated by huge eye sockets, half-closed eyes and a large mouth. Forehead and cheeks have scar decorations. The hair is arranged in lateral braids [...]. She wears a chain of pearls around her neck and the metal rings around the base indicate the smithery of the Holo."

Roy (1997: 376, text to fig. 133) continues: "Iron has long been among the most important materials in this part of Africa (as in the rest of the world), because of its value for making tools and weapons and because it embodies overwhelming supernatural power. The Holo were renowned in eastern Angola and Congo (Zaire) as blacksmiths. Thus the iron bands reflect the power the queen wields and the honor of her enthroned position."