Kuyu Figure, Democratic Republic of the Congo

Charles Ratton (1895-1986), Paris

Romaine Brooks (1874-1970), acquired from the above in 1920s

Fraysse & associés, Paris, 6 June 2005, lot 85

Lucien Van de Velde, Antwerp, 2005

Sotheby's, New York, African, Oceanic & Pre-Columbian Art, 17 November 2006, lot 215

Christie's, Paris, Art Africain et Océanien, 15 June 2010, lot 68

Private Collection

Binoche & Giquello, Paris, Arts d'Afrique, d'Amérique et d'Océanie, 29 June 2021, lot 83

European Private Collection, acquired from the above sale

This Kuyu ritual statue, with its remarkably well-preserved polychromy, belongs to the sculptural tradition of the people who settled in the Likouala region, north of what is now the Republic of Congo. Kuyu sculptures, often invested with a ceremonial role, were associated with initiation societies and rites of protection, cohesion and transmission of knowledge.

The figure displays the most representative stylistic characteristics of this art form: a face with prominent brows, a straight nose, a mouth sculpted in relief, and, above all, the use of polychromy. The latter beautifully highlights the fullness of the face and the ritual scarification.

The figure’s hieratic stance - arms pressed tightly to its upper body - evokes the sacred functions performed during ceremonies of the Kebe Kebe society, known for its masks and statues imbued with a great spiritual charge. The partially altered polychromatic surface attests to both the age of the object and its prolonged use in a ritual context.

A visually striking piece, this statue once belonged to Charles Ratton, and its base, created by Inagaki, has stood the test of time.