TABWA STATUE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO Wood H.: 39 cm (15³?? in.) A Tabwa figure, Democratic Republic of the Congo Provenance: Sotheby’s, London, Pre-Columbian, Oceanic and African Art, 6 July 1982, lot no. 190 Philippe Guimiot (1927–2021), Brussels Claude-Henri Pirat, Brussels Collection of Jean-Jacques Rotthier (1932–2009), Brussels, then by inheritance Bibliography: Maurer (Evan M.) and Roberts (Allen F.), *The Rising of a New Moon: A Century of Tabwa Art*, University of Michigan Museum of Art, 1985, p. 234, no. 79 Pirat (Claude-Henri), From the River Niger to the River Congo: An African Adventure, Paris, 2014, pp. 36–37, fig. 5 This sculpture depicts an illustrious ancestor, probably a Tabwa chief, recognisable by his elaborate headdress. In the second half of the 19th century, certain Tabwa families rose to a position of dominance through regional trade and sought to legitimise their authority by emphasising their lineage, in a process comparable to that observed among the Luba. In some cases, royal genealogies were developed and consolidated through sculpted representations of past leaders, giving rise to a specific genre of figurative sculpture embodying dynastic continuity and political authority. The geometric scarifications in relief that adorn this figure are a sign of moral and intellectual refinement. In Tabwa belief systems, the deliberate modification and ornamentation of the body reflected ideals of civilisation and wisdom. Particular attention is paid to the forehead, regarded as the seat of dreams and a source of visions and inspiration. A TABWA FIGURE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO Wood H.: 15³?? in. Provenance: Sotheby’s, London, Pre-Columbian, Oceanic and African Art, 6 July 1982, lot 190 Philippe Guimiot (1927–2021), Brussels Claude-Henri Pirat, Brussels Jean-Jacques Rotthier Collection (1932–2009), Brussels, then by descent Bibliography: Maurer (Evan M.) and Roberts (Allen F.), *The Rising of a New Moon: A Century of Tabwa Art*, University of Michigan Museum of Art, 1985, p. 234, no. 79 Pirat (Claude-Henri), From the River Niger to the River Congo: An African Adventure, Paris, 2014, pp. 36–37, fig. 5 This sculpture depicts a revered ancestor, likely a Tabwa ruler, distinguished by an elaborate hairstyle. During the second half of the nineteenth century, elite Tabwa families rose to prominence through regional trade and sought to legitimise their authority by emphasising lineage, in a manner comparable to that of the Luba. In some cases, royal genealogies were constructed and reinforced through sculptural representations of past leaders, giving rise to a distinct genre of figural sculpture that embodied dynastic continuity and political authority. The figure’s raised geometric scarification signifies both moral and intellectual refinement. Within Tabwa belief systems, the deliberate adornment of the body reflected ideals of civilisation and enlightenment. Particular emphasis is placed on the forehead, regarded as the seat of dreams and a source of visionary insight.