SOLD / SOLD! MC1166 Superb Songye shield - Congo - Songe Shield PROVENANCE

SOLD / SOLD! MC1166 Superb Songye shield - Congo - Songe Shield PROVENANCE

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For English, please have a look below.
CONGO DRC
 
GREAT SHIELD SONGYE ( Ngabo )
Decorated with the miniature representation of a Kifwebe mask
 PROVENANCE: Franco-Belgian collection of Mr Ph. V.
(More details on request)
Large shield, with polychrome decoration of concentric lines alternating the three fetish colors of the Basongye, white, red and black. The small central mask, sculpted in very high relief and framed by two small colored circles, gives the object a remarkable dynamic. It has a handle on the back. Like most shields present in public and private collections, this one is carved in a light and soft wood species
A shield with a very similar decoration, collected by J Walraevens between 1895 and 1922 is preserved in the Museum of Tervuren.
(Objects, signs of Africa p169, n°5 inv.38302, see biblio)
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According to Dunja Hersak and most authors, it seems certain that these shields were not intended for combat and rather served as symbolic and emblematic accessories of power.
For Joseph Cornet, they were hung on the walls of huts belonging to the Kifwebe society and the small central mask would be the guardian of this hut ( Arts d'Afrique Noire, p264, see biblio)
In "Shields" (p88, see bibliography), the author evokes the possibility that they are used as flags to lead warriors into battle, or even as gifts.

Features:

TYPE OF OBJECT: Shield ( Ngabo )
ETHNICITY: Songye – Basongye.
ORIGIN: Democratic Republic of Congo.
(Ex Belgian Congo, ex Zaire).
MATERIAL: Wood,
DIMENSIONS: 87.5 x 36.5 x 22 cm cm
CONDITION: Average - Correct
(See photos).
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Bibliography - Bibliography
 
- Objects Signs of Africa, texts compiled by Luc de Heusch, "Colours, Stries and Projections", Dunja Hersak, sd Snoek, Pages 161-173
- Shields, Africa, Southeast Asia and Oceania from the collection Barbier-Mueller Museum, Jean-Paul Barbier, Alain-Michel Boyer, P. Benitez-Johannot, Prestel, 2000
- Shields of Africa, Southeast Asia and Oceania from the Barbier-Mueller Museum, Jean-Paul Barbier, Alain-Michel Boyer, P. Benitez-Johannot, Adam Biro, 1998
- Arts of Black Africa, in the Barbier Mueller collection, presented by Werner Schmalenbach, Fondation Maeght, 1989 p264 Note by Joseph Cornet
- Songye; the formidable Songye statuary of Central Africa, François Neyt, Mercator Fund, 2009.
- Songye masks and figure sculpture, Dunja Hersak London 1985
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CONGO DRC

BIG SONGYE SHIELD (Ngabo)

Adorned with the miniature representation of a Kifwebe mask

PROVENANCE: Ex - Franco - Belgian Collection of Mr Ph. V. (More details on request)

Large shield, with polychrome decoration of concentric lines alternating the three fetish colors of Basongye, white, red and black. The small central mask, carved in very high relief and framed by two small colored circles gives the object a remarkable dynamic. There is a handle on the back. Like most shields in both public and private collections, this one is carved in a light and soft wood essence

A shield with a very similar decoration, harvested by J Walraevens between 1895 and 1922, is preserved in the Tervuren Museum.
(Objects, signs of Africa p169, n° 5 inv.38302, see bibliography)
-----
According to Dunja Hersak and most of the authors, it seems almost certain that these shields were not intended for combat and served rather as symbolic and emblematic of power.
For Joseph Cornet, they were hanging on the walls of huts belonging to the Kifwebe society and the small central mask would be the guardian of this hut (Arts of Black Africa, p264, see bibliography)
In "Shields" (p88, see bibliography), the author evokes the possibility that they were used as flags to lead the warriors in combat, or as gifts.

Features:
 
TYPE OF OBJECT: Shield( Ngabo )
ETHNICAL GROUP: Songye – Basongye – Songe.
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: Democratic Republic Congo
(ex Zaire, ex Belgian Congo).
MATERIAL: Wood,
DIMENSIONS: About 34 1/2 x 14 1/4 x 8 3/4 inches
CONDITION: Fair - Fair
(Please have a look on the pictures)



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