Very old maternity statue, KUBA, DR CONGO, before 1923

Old tribal maternity statue of the Kuba from DR Congo. This statue undoubtedly stood next to a hut. It comes from the area of the Kuba from the western region towards the Ndengese. Very strong statue and exactly as it should be! The Christian influence of nuns in this case is clearly visible. They were already there in the early 20th century. These statues initially showed the sexual organ and were not obscured. Under the influence of the nuns and missionaries, especially the nuns in this area, that expression disappeared, making the bottom look like this one. The patina is stunning.. and appropriate to use and age. The sculpture is stylistically very strong and somewhat crude in execution, as befits these types of sculptures. In the cavity on top there was a note on which the year 1923 is visible. Then it was acquired by this ex-colonial family. The statue is therefore older and was already used before 1923. A rare and unique piece! Heavy statue also weighing over 3.5 kg!

Length: 51cm
Weight: 3563 grams!!
Origin: DR Congo.
Date: Before 1923 (see explanation in the text)
Provenance: ex Philippe Dubois, Philipsville, Belgium