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THBEarly 20th C. Zaire Teke Wood & Pottery Fetish Figure
Lot 44
About Seller
Artemis Fine Arts
686 S Taylor Ave, Ste 106
Louisville, CO 80027
United States
Selling antiquities, ancient and ethnographic art online since 1993, Artemis Gallery specializes in Classical Antiquities (Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Near Eastern), Asian, Pre-Columbian, African / Tribal / Oceanographic art. Our extensive inventory includes pottery, stone, metal, wood, glass and textil...Read more
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Live Auction in Progress ... Currently on Lot Estimate:
$2,500 - $4,500
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| $300 | $50 |
| $1,000 | $100 |
| $2,000 | $250 |
| $5,000 | $500 |
| $10,000 | $1,000 |
| $20,000 | $2,500 |
| $50,000 | $5,000 |
| $100,000 | $10,000 |
| $200,000 | $20,000 |
About Auction
Live
By Artemis Fine Arts
Aug 22, 2025
Set Reminder
2025-08-22 10:00:00
2025-08-22 10:00:00
America/New_York
Bidsquare
Bidsquare : Indigenous Art - Ralph T. Coe Center, Santa Fe, NM
https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/artemis-gallery/indigenous-art---ralph-t-coe-center-santa-fe-nm-20324
Featuring works of art from the Ralph T. Coe Center for the Arts in Santa Fe, New Mexico, a non-profit focused on promoting Indigenous Arts globally. All proceeds from the sale of these items will support future grants to Rehoming Program participants. Artemis Fine Arts info@artemisfinearts.com
Featuring works of art from the Ralph T. Coe Center for the Arts in Santa Fe, New Mexico, a non-profit focused on promoting Indigenous Arts globally. All proceeds from the sale of these items will support future grants to Rehoming Program participants. Artemis Fine Arts info@artemisfinearts.com
View Full Catalog (452)
- Lot Description
Africa, Teke People, Democratic Republic of the Congo (Zaire), ca. late 19th to early 20th century CE. A formidable example of a Central African power figure (nkishi), created by the Teke (or Bateke) peoples of what is now the Democratic Republic of the Congo. This striking sculpture displays the classic cylindrical torso form packed with ritual clay and organic matter, contrasted by a crisply carved geometric head, incised coiffure, and abstracted limbs. The helmet-like cap, crested with a sculptural fin, reinforces the figure’s martial and ancestral authority. The prominent face, set beneath a pronounced brow, exhibits typical Teke abstraction — its eyes and mouth reduced to minimalist forms, and its beard incised in finely combed striations. The trunk, made from a rounded cavity filled with sacred bilongo (medicinal or spiritual substances), is sealed with an application of clay, some of which is still visibly flaking from age and exposure. Size: 5.65" W x 15.75" H (14.4 cm x 40 cm); 16.75" H (42.5 cm) on included custom stand.
Figures such as this were used under the supervision of Teke ritual specialists (nganga) to protect families, enforce oaths, and channel spiritual power. They were considered potent containers of ancestral and medicinal energy, activated through ritual applications and offerings.
Exhibited, 2002, October 3-December 15, Selections from the Ralph T. Coe Collection of African Art. Allen Memorial Museum, Oberlin College. Oberlin, OH.
Provenance: Ralph T. Coe Center for the Arts, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA
All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.
A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids.
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#196376Wear at left side of hat, minor bug damage to legs, a few blemishes here and there but overall quite excellent.Condition
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