Shrine figure

This figure once stood on a table with six or seven other sculptures inside a shrine, or was set outside the door to announce the sacred space within. Its earrings and loincloth are now missing, but the high crests of the hairstyle nod to fashion in the region in the early twentieth century. The figure’s mouth is open, as if in speech. Faceted planes set off the expressive face from the hairline, ears, and neck of the abstracted figure. The arms and hands curve upward to touch the chin in an unusual gesture associated with the art of the Hungaan people.

The Hungaan migrated north from present-day Angola to what is now the Democratic Republic of the Congo sometime before the nineteenth century. Able blacksmiths, they were welcomed into existing villages founded by other peoples near the Kwilu River. During their migration, some Hungaan families joined with Mbala clans, and the hairstyle reflects a popular Mbala look. The bulb-shaped torso is also common in Mbala art. Just as Hungaan smiths shared their skills in their new communities, Hungaan artists borrowed forms found in the art of their neighbors.