Tabwa Twin Figures, Pair, Mpundu Dolls Start Price USD 550.00 Current Price USD 550.00 Time Left - Bid Count 0 Buy It Now Price - Reserve Price - Start Time Friday, July 18, 2008 End Time Friday, July 25, 2008 Location Denver, CO See more about 'Tabwa Twin Figures, Pair, Mpundu Dolls' Description Type of Object: Sculpture Ethnic Group: Tabwa Country of Origin: DR Congo Materials: Wood, pigmentApproximate Age: Early to mid 20th century Dimensions: 7- 8.5 inches Overall Condition: Very Good Damage, Repair: Many cracks with indigenous repairs in both figuresAdditional Information: Miniature sculptures in the form of cylindrical body with round heads showing characteristic traits of the Tabwa sculpture. Figures of this type are known as Twin figures or dolls. 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. The 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, 1985I have examined these pieces and agree with the descriptionNiangi Batulukisi, Ph.D. **039698** 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!