Hemba Ancestral Divination Figure on Custom Base Congo

This sculptural object originates from the Hemba people of the southeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, a culture renowned for its refined ancestral figures and divination objects. In Hemba belief systems, ancestral spirits play an active role in guiding the living, offering protection, moral authority, and insight through ritual consultation.

The piece features a Janus-style head, with multiple faces emerging from a single form, symbolizing heightened perception, duality, and the ability to see beyond the visible world. Above the head rises a vertically carved finial decorated with repeating chevron and linear motifs, patterns associated with order, continuity, and spiritual communication. Such vertical extensions emphasize the connection between the earthly realm and the ancestral world.

Used in divination practices, objects of this type served as intermediaries through which specialists communicated with ancestral forces to seek guidance, diagnose misfortune, or restore balance within the community. The worn surface and dark patina reflect age, ritual handling, and prolonged ceremonial use.

This Hemba divination figure exemplifies the culture’s emphasis on abstraction, symmetry, and spiritual authority, embodying both aesthetic refinement and profound symbolic meaning.