Singiti Ancestor Bust
Hemba Artist
Katanga region, Democratic Republic of the Congo
19th century
Wood with old patina
Montreal, Lune Rouge Collection
Faithful to the African tradition of clay ancestor figures, the forms of Hemba commemorative likenesses rely on a harmonious symmetry. This notion of balance is reflected in the inscrutable face of the figure.
The ancestor or what is called a singiti figure served to strengthen family ties and solidarity within the clan. Originally, the hands (now lost) were placed on the belly, an illustration of the benevolence and protection the departed exerted over their clan.
These - primarily male - sculptures clearly illustrated the political segmentation of the Hemba area. Such decentralization was reflected in hairstyles that could achieve the utmost in intricacy. Reserved for the elite, they were the sign of a forebear's strict allegiance to one of the subgroups of the Hemba mosaic.
In terms of typology one common feature can be noted, namely the particular attention given to the rendering of the umbilicus. Even though artists executed them in hardwood, many of these sculptures have been reduced to "busts" due to prolonged contact with soil and the presence of wood-eating insects.
Singiti Ancestor Bust
Hemba Artist
Katanga region, Democratic Republic of the Congo
19th century
Wood with old patina
Montreal, Lune Rouge Collection
Faithful to the African tradition of clay ancestor figures, the forms of Hemba commemorative likenesses rely on a harmonious symmetry. This notion of balance is reflected in the inscrutable face of the figure.
The ancestor or what is called a singiti figure served to strengthen family ties and solidarity within the clan. Originally, the hands (now lost) were placed on the belly, an illustration of the benevolence and protection the departed exerted over their clan.
These - primarily male - sculptures clearly illustrated the political segmentation of the Hemba area. Such decentralization was reflected in hairstyles that could achieve the utmost in intricacy. Reserved for the elite, they were the sign of a forebear's strict allegiance to one of the subgroups of the Hemba mosaic.
In terms of typology one common feature can be noted, namely the particular attention given to the rendering of the umbilicus. Even though artists executed them in hardwood, many of these sculptures have been reduced to "busts" due to prolonged contact with soil and the presence of wood-eating insects.