UBANGI STATUE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO Wood H.: 66 cm (26 in.) An Ubangi figure, Democratic Republic of the Congo Provenance: Collection of Jean-Jacques Rotthier (1932–2009), Brussels, then passed down through the family This large male figure represents Sètò, a major ancestral hero in Ngbaka mythology. Among the Ngbaka, wooden sculptures depicting a man and a woman were kept in family shrines to embody Sètò and his sister-wife, Nàbo. According to Ngbaka oral traditions, Sètò is regarded as the creator of humanity and appears in the night sky in the form of the constellation Orion. The shrines dedicated to Sètò and Nàbo were maintained to ensure success in hunting, protection against illness and the general well-being of the household. AN UBANGI FIGURE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO Wood H.: 26 in. Provenance: Jean-Jacques Rotthier Collection (1932–2009), Brussels, then by descent This large male figure represents Sètò, a central ancestral hero in Ngbaka mythology. Among the Ngbaka, male and female wooden sculptures were placed in family shrines to embody Sètò and his sister-wife, Nàbo. According to Ngbaka oral traditions, Sètò is credited with the creation of humanity and is visible in the night sky as the constellation Orion. Shrines dedicated to Sètò and Nàbo were maintained to ensure success in hunting, protection from disease, and the overall well-being of the household.