Very old tribally used altar statue, YAKA, DR Congo, 1930-40

Very old tribally used altar statue of the YAKA from the DR Congo with a strong appearance. The beautiful face stands out immediately. Furthermore, the statue shows obvious traces of use and age. Red brown iron powder and a patina that also shows age. Also typical for authentic small statues is that they often cannot stand independently. The statues that were made for export were able to do that. I put a couple of felt pads underneath so that the figurine can stand on its own. A small chip is visible on the left ear, see the photo. Overall in a good used condition!

Length: 28 cm
Weight: 233 grams
Origin: DR Congo
Date: 1930-40
Provenance: Obtained from a French private collection