A beautiful old Ngombi harp with a handle carved with an ant - Lot 49

A beautiful old Ngombi harp with a handle carved with an anthropomorphic bust. The female ancestor is distinguished by the naturalism of the face, which, along with the four-braid hairstyle, exalts the ideal of beauty in Tsogho country. The eyes, with their irises and pupils marked by metallic additions, give the figure a fixed gaze and a striking presence, accentuated by the half-open mouth: "Her voice is that of the snoring of the falls where the genies live" (Perrois, Sallée et Sillans, Art et artisanat Tsogho, 1975, p.37). The delicate patina of use and old repairs testify to its participation in numerous Bwiti ceremonies. Tsogho, Gabon Wood, leather, plant fibers, nails, metal and rope, old cracks and wear, small visible chips (in the leather part), beautiful old patina. Height: 60.5cm Provenance: Jacques Viault Jacques Viault Collection Exhibition and Publication: Goy, Tsogho. Les icônes du Bwiti, 2016, p.29, n°10 Sotheby's sale, Paris, December 12, 2017, lot 33.