Lega Double Spoon, Democratic Republic of the Congo

Restricted Species

Lot closes

December 10, 04:02 PM GMT

Estimate

6,000 - 8,000 EUR

Starting Bid

4,800 EUR

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Lot Details

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Description

Lega Double Spoon, Democratic Republic of the Congo

Elephant (Loxondonta Africana) ivory

Haut. 20 cm ; Height. 7 ¾ in

Please note that this lot contains elephant ivory the export of which outside the EU is now prohibited pursuant to European regulation 2021/2280 of 16 December 2021. Pursuant to the UK Ivory Act 2018, clients based in the United Kingdom are not able to bid on / purchase this lot. Sotheby's will be able to provide the buyer with the intra-community certificate attached to this item.

Veuillez noter que ce lot contient des espèces protégées. Veuillez noter que Sotheby's n'est pas en mesure d'assister les acheteurs avec le transport de lots contenant des espèces protégées vers les Etats-Unis. L'impossibilité par l'acheteur d'exporter ou d'importer ces lots ne justifie pas un retard de paiement ou l'annulation de la vente. Please note that this lot contains restricted materials. Sotheby's is not able to assist buyers with the shipment of any lots containing restricted materials into the U.S.A. Buyer's inability to export or import these lots cannot justify a delay in payment or a sale's cancellation.

Acquired in situ by the territorial administrator Raymond Hombert, between 1924 and 1930

Tom Hombert Collection, Brussels

Jean-Pierre Lepage, Brussels

Alexis Bonew (1940–2013) Collection, Brussels, 1972–1973

Sotheby’s, Paris, Affinités Electives: Alexis Bonew and the Arts of the Congo, 10 December 2014, lot 2

Jean-Louis Danis Collection, Brussels, acquired at this sale

These spoons are closely tied to the Bwami society, an initiatory institution with social, political, and religious functions. Known as kalukili or kakili, these spoons were reserved for the highest ranking members of the society. They are used to nourish initiates spiritually, to impart values, proverbs and moral teachings. Symbolically, they represent "the continuity of the lineage and the memory of the ancestors’ achievements” (Brown in Felix, White Gold, Black Hands, Ivory Sculpture in Congo, vol. 6, p. 118).

From an artistic perspective, this spoon stands out for its aesthetic qualities: an interesting symmetry, two pairs of eyes and noses. A beautiful patina coats the piece.