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| Object |
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| "Ofika" an instructive figure of the "Lilwa" society, Mbole |
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| Ethnic group |
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| Mbole |
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| Origin |
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| DR Congo |
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| Provenance |
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| Zemanek-Münster, Wurzburg, Germany. W. Glaser, Basel, Switzerland Private Coll., Belgium |
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| Material |
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| Wood |
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| Size |
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| H: 37,5 cm |
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| Description |
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| Shiny dark brown patina, yellowed kaolin, tall with lank limbs, missing part, min. cracks, mounted on base.
The so-called "Instructive figure" or "Ofika" depicts someone who has been hanged. They were used as a warning to instill secrecy within the society. The Ofika were hidden from the uninitiated. They were believed to contain the soul of the person who had been hanged and were carved by a member of the hanged person’s family. There are two holes drilled into the back of the figure so that it can be hung from a tree. Not withstanding their meaning the figures still have a haunting beauty.
The Lilwa society is a graded men’s society, which plays a major role in Mbole life.
Lit.: "Afrikanische Skulptur" Erich Herold, Page 199
shikra-tip:
This book is also available in our catalogue (see cat. num.: 60-133)
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