Songye Figure
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Boanga (Nganga) Power Figure
Lusamba Area, Batempa group, Northwest of Songye Region
Carved wood, nails, teeth and shells
Late 19th century
Height: 14 ½ in. (37 cm)
Provenance:
Collected in Luluabourg, Belgian Congo, 1930s
Ex collection Karel Plasmans, Belgium, 1965-1966
Ex collection Marc Leo Felix, Brussels (#FC4314)
Ex collection Gallery Fred Jahn, Munich, circa 1985
Ex collection Bareiss, Greenwich/Salach, Neumeister Sale, Munich, Collection Walter Bareiss, Nov. 13, 2008. Lot 1244, ill.
Ex collection Lucien Van de Velde, Antwerp
Ex Pace Gallery, New York (# 54-3768)
Yale-GVR Registration No. 0033763
Exhibition
Kilengi: African Art from the Bareiss Family Collection, Hannover, Vienne, Munich, Iowa City, Purchase NY, 1997-2000. Cat. 110
Publications
Jean Willy Mestach. “Etudes Songye: formes et symbolique, essai d’analyse“. Munich: Gallery Jahn, 1985. pp. 128-129, fig. 37
Christopher D. Roy. Kilengi: African Art from the Bareiss Family Collection. Hannover, Seattle: Kestner Gesellschaft, University of Washington Press, 1999. pp. 190-191, cat. 110
François Neyt. La Redoutable Statuaire Songye d’Afrique Centrale. Milan: 5 Continents Editions, 2004. p. 151, fig. 117
