A rare carved wooden male ancestor sculpture accented with various colored organic pigments, from the Kuyu ethnic group, DRC/ Congo, Africa. Related figures were used in initiation ceremonies that imparted esoteric knowledge concerning the secrets of mystical forces and ancestral influence. Unfortunately little is known about this tradition that was historically inaccessible to outside observers and so the exact function of such idols has not survived into the present. Measures 18 inches tall on wooden base. Ex~ collection Prof. Charles Bordogna, Previous African Art Museum curator and author of several African art publications.

Feet have eroded away and obvious old insect damage, what remains is strong and stable and has been in a private collection for decades. There are no living insects to worry about.