Hemba (Bahemba), Democratic Republic of the Congo

The singiti (ancestor statue). In southeast DRC, the 80,000 Hemba people inhabit vast plains surrounded by high hills and bordered by streams, rocks, and marshes. They live mostly from farming manioc, sesame, yams and beans. The Hemba are a matrilineal people with a sculptural tradition devoted mainly to representations of male ancestors. Their social organization is founded on a system of clans that brings together several families sharing a common ancestor. The Hemba practice ancestor worship, not only to keep the memory of their great chiefs alive, but also to justify the present authority and power of the chiefs of the clan named Fumu Mwalo. Although every figure is the portrait of a specific person, the artist portrays generalized, not particular, individual traits. The figure is meant to reinforce the importance of family continuity and the perpetuation of the clan.

Material:  wood

Size:  H. 10 ½”, W. 3”, D. 4”

Price: $235+ $23 (S&H)                                                   [#M0H9S966]