Description: Welcome To The Premier Place For Serious Collectors of Fine Authentic African Tribal Art Over 10 Years Online Serving Thousands of Satisfied Customers Offering the Finest Quality Sub-Saharan African Art Very Fine African DRC Ngbaka Stool Measurement: Height: 8 Width: 27 Depth: 8 Inches Measurement: Height: 20.5 Width: 68.5 Depth: 20.5 Centimeters Measurement Stool Only Material: Wood, Shells Estimated Age: Early 20th Century Condition: Good Remarks: Highly stylized rectangular stool with figure heads striking features rich brown patina INTERNATIONAL BIDDERS WELCOME Documentation of Authenticity / Provenance Will Be Included With This Piece CONDITIONWood deterioration, worn areas, chips and age cracks, overall condition good. Thank you and please view my other items. BACKGROUNDThe Ngbaka are situated mostly south of the Ubangi River, in northern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Their settlements were dispersed and lack of overall political organization; a hamlet would generally be made up of an extended family or patrilineal clan. They practiced slash-and-burn agriculture growing manioc, maize, sorghum and bananas and lived off fishing and hunting. They also raise chickens and goats for eggs and milk. The Ngbaka had a system of initiation named gaza or ganza: “that which gives strength.” Future initiates had to undergo trials of physical endurance and would attain a first level of knowledge by means of song and corporeal techniques, particularly choreographic turns. In the rites of passage, re-creations of ancestors played an important role. Circumcision and excision took place after several months spent outside the village. Large slit drums are common, the end of which depict buffaloes and antelopes. Artistic products include figures, masks, pipes, necklaces, sticks, musical instruments, and zoomorphic statuettes used in the hunt. Grooves striate the nose, forehead and the temples. The Ngbaka men used this kind of scarification marks. Large figures and masks feature in the Ngbaka initiation ceremonies. Ngbaka masks, known as Dagara, are worn during and after ceremonies associated with the gaza initiation and the circumcision of young men. They are oval and often have a concave face with an elongated triangular nose with scarification on the nose and forehead. Ngbaka figures are often found in pairs and can be as tall as 40”. They are believed to represent their two primordial ancestors and are placed on altars in houses where they fulfill a protective role. Small anthropomorphic or zoomorphic fetishes covered in red pigment are believed to bring good fortune. Ngbaka dignitaries smoked anthropomorphic pipes, often covered with copper wire, and cephalomorphic harps were carved to accompany singers. The specific meaning and function of Ngbaka masks appears to vary depending on the group and its particular initiatory practice. Painter Fred Uhlman words - Most of the artists I admired, Picasso, Modigliani, Deraini, to mention only a few, had collected African art and had been profoundly influenced by it. Shortly afterwards I bought the Baule Fetish and the Baule bobbin which are still two of the finest pieces in my collection. It is easy to see why I bought them and why from that moment I have never stopped collecting. The head of the bobbin or heddle - pulley which is after all only a functional object for the purpose of weaving seemed to me then and today as beautiful as a Greek goddess. The fetish moved me as deeply as the bobbin by its silent tragic dignity and its air of profound meditation. GUARANTEEAUTHENTICITY AND CONDITION OF ITEMS ARE GUARANTEED TO THEIR DESCRIPTION AND PICTURES.QUESTIONS PLEASE EMAIL WITH ANY QUESTIONS, ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, OR MORE DETAIL PICTURES. SHIPPINGSHIPPING VIA USPS PARCEL POST OR FEDEX GROUND UNLESS STATED OTHERWISE. OTHER SHIPPING OPTIONS AVAILABLE. INTERNATIONAL VIA USPS PRIORITY MAIL -SHIPPING COST PLEASE INQUIRE. COMBINED SHIPPING: SHIPPING IS ALWAYS COMBINED WHEN POSSIBLE, UNLESS THE PIECE IS TOO LARGE OR DELICATE.SHIPPING TIME: ITEM(S) ARE CAREFULLY PACKAGED AND SHIPPED OUT WITHIN 10 DAYS OF PAYMENT. PACKING FRAGILE ART ITEM NEEDS CAREFUL ATTENTION AND WILL NEVER BE FAST, BUT WE DO OUT BEST TO MAKE SURE IT WILL ARRIVE FOR YOU SAFELY. IF YOU NEED THE ITEM QUICKLY PLEASE EMAIL FIRST FOR ARRANGEMENT.PAYMENTPAYMENT ACCEPTED - PAYPAL.
Price: 2200 USD
Location: Huntersville, North Carolina
End Time: 2024-01-21T17:42:38.000Z
Shipping Cost: N/A USD
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