The tribe of the Bembe has divided into two groups in the course of historical migrations. The western Bembe live in western Central Africa, in the Republic of the Congo (Congo-Brazzaville), the eastern Bembe, on the other hand, live far away, in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo, near Lake Tanganyika. Each group has a completely different artistic style. The present, male ancestor figure, carved from hard wood and coloured in brown, is a typical example of the style of the western Bembe: the cap-like, flat, stylised coiffure lies on a relatively large, egg-shaped head with wide, open mouth and a triangular and angularly conceived goatee beard (common for male figures). Also completely characteristic for the sculptures of the western Bembe are the inlaid white eyes of ceramic or porcelain (or shell material), as well as the very careful and richly detailed patterning of the scarification marks on the almost cylindrical body of the ancestor. Also typical of the style of the western Bembe are the soft, rounded shoulders, the freely-worked arms and the always very finely carved hands, fingers and toes. The deeper significance and meaning of these small ‘Bimbi’ ancestor figures is that the priests (soothsayers, healers etc.) of the western Bembe could only establish contact with the actual and important ancestors of the Bembe clan by means of these figures (at least, this is what the Bembe believe). The ‘ancestor’ offered here is represented in a rare squatting pose. Amongst the western Bembe, this pose means that during life he was involved in hunting. He holds a large knife in his right hand and a gourd in his left hand (its neck is broken off at the top). He displays a magnificent shiny patina on the exposed surfaces and only minor age-related damage: the point of the beard is broken (a very old crack), original repairs on the right arm and thigh (minor cracks glued). Otherwise no damage. H: 21.5 cm (relatively large, normally these ‘Bimbi’ are only 10 cm to 15 cm tall). First half of the 20th century. (ME)

Provenance: German Private Collection.

Lit.: ‘Encyclopedia of African Art and Culture’ by K.-F. Schädler, ill. p. 90; ‘Die Kunst des schwarzen Afrika’ by Kerchache, Paudrat, Stephan, ill. 621.