- 72
Charme, Lumbu, Gabon
Description
- wood
- haut. 11,5 cm ; 4 1/2 in
Provenance
Collection privée européenne
Catalogue Note
Cette amulette muswinga appartenait selon toute vraisemblance à un puissant nganga (devin guérisseur) ou à un important chef de clan. La très grande délicatesse de sa sculpture, mise en valeur par les nuances rougeâtres de la poudre de padouk dont elle a été frottée, lui confère cette beauté sacrée qui assurait la protection de son propriétaire dans de nombreux domaines de la vie sociale.
Commentaire par Charlotte Grand-Dufay
This jewel of Lumbo art is a perfect example of the refinement of those miniatures confined to the private sphere; it stands out both for the extreme rarity of its iconography and for its striking expressiveness. It depicts a Lumbu man travelling on the back of a quadruped. He is dressed in European style (a fitted and buttoned jacket with a stand-up collar, long trousers, shoes) and wears a hat with a top button atop his traditional ighodu coiffure which tapers into a long point on the nape of the neck. While his pose and attributes are visible signs of his high rank, the ease of this pose (left hand in the trouser pocket, relaxed limbs) demonstrates the artist has remarkably grasped the confidence given to him by his power.
In all likelihood this muswinga amulette belonged to a powerful nganga (soothsayer healer) or to a prominent clan chief. The great refinement of its carving, highlighted by the reddish shades of the padauk powder, which was rubbed on it, confers upon it the sacred beauty that ensured the protection of its owner in many areas of social life.
Lumbu charm, Gabon