Songye Power Figure, Democratic Republic of the Congo

Georges Rodrigues, New York
Hope (1924-2013) and Todd Makler, Philadelphia, acquired from the above in October 1971

Very good condition for an object of this type and age. Metal attachments on the face and body are oxidized with verdigris and old losses. Fiber attachments are fragile with losses; fiber suspending club-shaped pendant broken and re-attached. Shallow surface cavities (insect damage) to backs of legs. Age crack to wooden club-shaped pendant. Marks, nicks, scratches, and abrasions consistent with age and ritual handling. Exceptionally fine thick, glossy, crusty patina of ritually-applied clay and oil. Please note that this lot contains material(s) which have import or export restrictions. Please contact a member of the department for further information.
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.

The finely-carved and superbly designed Songye power figure from the Makler Family Collection is of archaic style and remains in a remarkable state of preservation.  The massive, powerful head is reduced to simple geometric forms; the eyes are represented only as a thin grooved stripe across the face, from which the cheeks fall in a long slope toward the protruding, squared chin.  The bridge of the nose bisects the eyes and terminates in a protruding rectangular mouth, all covered with copper plates.  A powerful columnar neck rises from an arrangement of rounded cubes defining the upper torso and arms; the overall form of the head is echoed in the rounded belly, which appears nearly spherical from the front.  The spine is defined in a vertical rounded groove on the back.

The Makler Songye retains a remarkably elaborate accumulation of ritual materials.  In addition to the numerous metal plates which cover much of the face in a geometric lattice, the figure retains its original coiffure of animal fur, an extremely rare survival in the Songye corpus.  Three necklace-bundles of reptile skin punctuate the neck; a strip of metal runs down the sternum, and a circular plate covers an umbilical charge.  Accompanying the figure is a double-headed club, attached to the belt with rope.  The surface is encrusted with a thick, reddish, ritually applied patina, with the high points showing the color of the glossy, rubbed wood beneath; parts of the surface still seethe oil.

For a biography of Hope and Paul T. Makler see lot 339.