A beautiful kneeling statuette with numerous keloids, bearing witness to the classical style characteristic of Yombe art, and immediately reminiscent of the famous Phemba maternity sculptures carved in the same wood. She is dressed in a loincloth and wears a high headdress decorated in metal (cut openwork and applied); a lead alloy characteristic of other Kongo works. The kneeling position is called fukama, meaning "to fall to one's knees, to kneel, to prostrate oneself", implying respect in the presence of authority. A very appropriate position considering the nature of this statuette, which is in fact the handle of an ancient fly swatter, of which the transverse tenon still remains inside the cap, allowing hair to be attached to it, and of which a few relics remain inside. See : Le geste Kongo, p. 109, Dapper, 2002 Kongo (Yombe group), Democratic Republic of Congo 19th century Wood, metal, hair remnants, beautiful blond patina from use. H. 25 cm Provenance : Monsieur V. Collection, Brussels, acquired before 1963 on the Belgian market.