Teke Power Figure, Democratic Republic of the Congo

René Rasmussen, Paris
Mauricio and Emilia Lasansky, Iowa City, acquired from the above
By descent to the present owners

The University of Iowa Museum of Art, Iowa City, African Art from Iowa Private Collections, November 13, 1981 - January 10, 1982

Christopher D. Roy, African Art from Iowa Private Collections, Iowa City, 1981, pp. 34-35, cat. 23

Good condition for an object of this type and age. Wear, cracking, and erosion around central receptacle. Wax fill under feet to fit them to base. Marks, nicks, scratches, abrasions, and small chips consistent with age and ritual handling. Very minor areas of insect damage in head and crest. Cavity from a knot in the wood at top of crest. Figure attached on the proper left side: neck broken and glued. A spot of glue on the reverse. Exceptionally fine dark brown patina with remnants of white and black pigment, and crusty remains of charge material in the abdominal cavity. Figure attached on proper right side: loss to the front of fabric covering as seen in catalogue illustration.
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.

LaGamma (2007: 304) notes: "In Teke society the ikwii, or shades of the death, warded off calamities perpetrated by witches. The father of a family invoked the ikwii of his father, mother, and sometimes his mother's brother on behalf of his own children and wives. A shrine to one's deceased family members featured reliquary figures of some of those individuals (buti) along with other items [...].

"Buti were named after and identified with the specific male ancestors whom they embodied. Generally those individuals were renowned chiefs or leaders whose presence assured the community's well-being. The sacred component of buti [i.e., the charge material packed into the cavity in the front of the abdomen] was composed of earth from the grave of the deceased, which was considered to contain traces of his corporeal being. [...] As the responsibility of individual family leaders,buti were kept within their owners' home. Those of a village leader afforded to benefits to the community at large. It appears that, on the death of its owner, a buti was often buried with him along with all his other belongings."