A large, beautiful Buti anthropomorphic "fetish" that has retained all of its imposing truncated cone-shaped charge, bearing witness to a sacrifice on the front and plastered with red, shaved padouk wood. The truly noble face features the fine mabina scarring still clearly visible beneath the sacrificial patina, beard and crown-shaped headdress in the imwu style. The position of the legs, here strongly bent backwards, refers to an attitude during the men's sacred dance called nikibi. Téké, Democratic Republic of Congo Wood, constituent materials of the load, wear and small chips on the load, very fine old sacrificial and wear patina. Height: 40cm Provenance: Jacques Viault Collection, acquired in Brazaville