KONGO STATUETTE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO Made of wood and glass H.: 30 cm (11¾ in.) A Kongo figure, Democratic Republic of the Congo Provenance: Paul Gilman, Liège Pierre Dartevelle (1940–2022), Brussels Jean-Jacques Rotthier Collection (1932–2009), Brussels, then passed down through the family This commemorative sculpture depicting a chief is depicted in the classic ‘funda nkata’ pose, that is to say, sitting cross-legged. The figure from the Rotthier collection belongs to a well-identified group of Yombe sculptures described by Raoul Lehuard (Art Bakongo. Les centres de style, Arnouville, 1989, vol. II, pp. 482–488). To date, around ten works have been attributed to the same artist, two of which were acquired very early on by Count Charles-Antoine de Briey between 1911 and 1913. Other known examples include a statue held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, one from the former J. P. Jernander collection, and another from the Van Opstal collection, which was sold at Artcurial during the Art Tribal auction, Paris, Hôtel Dassault, 10 June 2008, lot no. 127. A KONGO FIGURE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO Wood and glass H.: 11¾ in. Provenance: Paul Gilman, Liège Pierre Dartevelle (1940–2022), Brussels Jean-Jacques Rotthier Collection (1932–2009), Brussels, then by descent This commemorative sculpture of a chief is depicted in the classic funda nkata posture, seated cross-legged. The Rotthier figure belongs to a well-defined corpus of Yombe sculptures identified and discussed by Raoul Lehuard (Art Bakongo. Les centres de style, Arnouville, 1989, vol. II, pp. 482–488). To date, we have identified approximately ten works by the same artist, including two that were acquired at an early date by Count Charles-Antoine de Briey between 1911 and 1913. Other known examples include the sculpture in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the example formerly in the J. P. Jernander collection, and the figure from the Van Opstal collection, sold at Artcurial, Art Tribal, Paris, Hôtel Dassault, 10 June 2008, lot 127.