Tabwa Twin Figure Doll Miniature Congo, African Start Price USD 350.00 Current Price USD 350.00 Time Left - Bid Count 0 Buy It Now Price - Reserve Price - Start Time Sunday, July 20, 2008 End Time Sunday, July 27, 2008 Location Denver, CO See more about 'Tabwa Twin Figure Doll Miniature Congo, African' Description Title: Tabwa Twin Figures Mpundu, African Type of Object: Carving, FigureEthnic Group: TabwaCountry of Origin: DR CongoMaterials: Wood, beadsApproximate Age: Mid 20th CenturyDimensions: 7 inches H.Overall Condition: Very good Damage, Repair: Worn patina Additional Information: Miniature sculpture in the form of cylindrical body with round head showing characteristic traits of the Tabwa sculpture. Dolls like this were found all over the Tabwa region and among their neighbors such as the Nyamwezi, Zaramo, and so forth. They were used in the ritual of fertility and in replacement of twins who have died. Young girls used to play with small figures like this. They were said to have the power to insure the fertility of these girls after their marriage. In the Tabwa culture, there exists a ritual of twins where small figures, representing decease twin or twins, where used. Such figures were commissioned upon the death of a twin, and the mother of the twin(s) had to take care of the figure as it was the survivor of the decease twin(s). Offerings and prayers were regularly conducted in his/her or their honor. he Tabwa are a tiny tribe in the Upper River Region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, formerly Zaire. Their carvings are ancestor figures, and they usually stand on a circular base with slightly bent knees and hands resting on their abdomen. Sometimes the hairstyle is a George Washington queue. The Tabwa number more than 200, 000. Tabwa art has only recently come to be identified as a separate style often confused with the sculpture of their neighbors or others who took Tabwa identity. Chiefs were not powerful and local lineage heads exercised much authority. It was the lineage heads who kept figures representing honored ancestors known as Mipasi on small shrines that they controlled.Tabwa figural sculptures represent ancestors who were to assist in daily activities and during the hunt.Tabwa art is both a symbol and an aesthetic statement as the figures are often elaborately scarified in a fashion known among them until the middle of the twentieth century. The distinctive facial scarification consisting of a number of lines along the sides of the face and along the forehead and abdomen were the means whereby Tabwa identified themselves to localities and social status. Elaborate and attractive patterns and designs were worked into the skin according to the Tabwa concept of ‘kulemba’ that reflect aesthetics, social membership and the abstract idea of order upon the chaos of nature. It demonstrates that a person becomes a complete adult when they are properly inscribed with the appropriate scars. The Tabwa are also known for their anthropomorphic and zoomorphic masks. for more information and similar pieces see the interesting book on the Tabwa by Roberts Allen F, and Maurer Evan M. (eds.)Recommended Reading: Cornet, J. A SURVEY OF ZAIREAN ART-THE BRONSON COLLECTION Roberts Allen F, and Maurer Evan M. (eds.), TABWA THE RISING OF A NEW MOON: A CENTURY OF TABWA ART, University of Michigan Museum of Art, 1985 I have examined these pieces and agree with the descriptionNiangi Batulukisi, Ph.D.  **039699** All content, including pictures, Copyright Africa Direct Inc., 2006 Add Us To Your Favorite Sellers! Please visit our About Us page. SquareTrade © AP6.0 PesaMember Place a Bid!