These figures, called ‘ubanga nyama’ ("spirit figure") represent Suway,
an ancestral founder of the Lengola. The elongated figure
would have been displayed in the center of the village,
after the burial of a high-ranking mungamba dignitary, or
chief, to allow men in the village to make invocations to
their ancestors.
The figures can be disassembled, possibly
for storage purposes or port-ability. Stylistically, Lengola figures share formal
qualities with the art of their neighbors, the Lega.The
distinctive treatment of the face, the concave heart-shaped
and linear features is characteristic of both groups.
Note, this one is missing a hand, and a piece of its foot, and has therefore been priced accordingly. It comes apart at the limbs and head, all of which can be attached to the torso.
Height: 57" x Width: 38" x Depth: 4 ¼".
