240460 - Old African Bakongo Bakulu protection figure - Congo.

Old Expressive african Bakulu sculpture from the Bakongo, Congo.
Hand carved from a single piece of wood and collected in 1960.
Height are 32 cm.
This Bakongo Bakulu statue was collected between 1950 and 1960 and ended up in my private collection in 1999.
According to Félix "Arts et Kongos" page 63 and following, the statues of ancestors (Bakulu) are important pieces of the various Kongo rituals.The deceased who have been elevated to the rank of ancestor (according to a cult that deifies the deceased) have the duty to watch over the living. Many memorial statues will adorn family or clan altars in tribute to them. They are idealized images of ancestors, not portraits.
Their role is to fill a void, an absence, and provide reassurance.
According to Félix "Arts et Kongos" page 63 and following, the statues of ancestors (Bakulu) are important pieces of the various Kongo rituals.
The deceased who have been elevated to the rank of ancestor (according to a cult that deifies the deceased) have the duty to watch over the living. Many memorial statues will adorn family or clan altars in tribute to them. They are idealized images of ancestors, not portraits.
Their role is to fill a void, an absence, and provide reassurance.