Ndop Figure – Wood – Bushoong – Kuba – Congo DRC

Magnificient wooden carving of King Shyaam aMbul aNgoong

Male king figure (ndop) made of wood. Figure sits crosslegged on a square platform (yiing) .
Ndop statues are idealized representations of the nyimi or kings of the Kuba kingdom. This king reigned around 1900.
A great example of a king figure (ndop) of the Kuba, Kongo. Good condition with traces of wear and tear.

The Ndop statues might be the the most revered of all Kuba art forms. The Ndop (literally meaning “statue”) are a genre of figurative wood sculpture that portrays important Kuba leaders throughout the eighteenth to twentieth centuries. The Ndop figures have an important role in childbirth.

Similar item can be found here: https://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/ecatalogue/2007/african-and-oceanic-art-session-i-various-owners-session-ii-andreas-and-kathrin-lindner-collection-greub-collection-pf7006/lot.265.html

Provenance: Manfred Schäfer collection, ex- gallery owner from Ulm, Germany.