An ancient and beautiful lupingu lwa bwimpe statuette, also called bulenga, with a scarred body and face, holding a cup in the left hand. The terms bwimpe and bulenga refer to the beauty, physical and moral qualities of the women who owned these statuettes, to whom they were offered after giving birth to a healthy child, and in recognition of this sacred power. These statuettes were said to "possess" or "concentrate" the spirit of a departed ancestor who could protect the newborn child. Luluwa, Democratic Republic of Congo Wood, pigments, small accident at the back of the right foot (old breakage), very beautiful patina of use. H. 18,5 cm Provenance : - Tristan Tzara Collection - Collection Tristan Tzara and various amateurs, sale Loudmer, Paris, November 24, 1988, lot 215. - Collection Nadine Vinot-Postry, Paris.