{"product_id":"songye-miniature-figure-congo-rohner-collection-157336","title":"Songye Miniature Figure Congo Rohner Collection","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThis figure has a strongly defined body and the well-known Songye jutting chin and geometric nose with the eyes sculpturally prominent, with a small hole on top of the head where the magic was.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003eMany groups in the greater Congo area, and elsewhere, use art to meet the contingencies of everyday life through the activities of the local priest or diviner known as the Nganga. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThis well-carved Songye standing figure depicts a man with hands on a prominent belly, showcasing classic Songye cubist features with strong lines and distinct facial proportions. Carved from a single dense wood block, the figure exhibits the characteristic jutting chin, geometric nose, and sculpturally prominent eyes typical of Songye art. In the greater Congo region, sculptures like these, known as Nkishi, hold significance in the practices of local priests or diviners called Nganga. These spiritually adept individuals use rituals, secret formulas, and sculptures like the Nkishi for healing, preventing malevolent forces, divination, and connecting with the spirit world. For the Songye and other Bantu language speakers, figures like this serve as a nexus between the diviner's rituals and spiritual presence, evident in the object's aged surface from extended use and accumulated elements.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eProvenance: John R. Rohner Collection\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cu\u003e\u003c\/u\u003e\u003cu\u003e\u003c\/u\u003e\u003c\/i\u003eRohner, a museum curator for decades, aimed his practiced eye for authenticity to African art beginning in the early 1908s. His passion for this art only grew through the decades he built his collection––always with an aim for a broad and representative array of pieces. The collection appears in his book, \u003ci\u003eArt Treasures from African Runners\u003c\/i\u003e (2000, University Press of Colorado). \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eItem #491 on pg. 204\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"Polaris-Box\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"_ActivatorWrapper_36nu6_55\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv id=\"PRODUCT.metafields.custom.height_in_-anchor\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv role=\"button\" class=\"_ActivatorButton_36nu6_59\" tabindex=\"0\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"_RowWrapper_36nu6_4\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"_FormFieldLabel_36nu6_30\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"Polaris-Text--root Polaris-Text--bodyMd\"\u003eHeight (In): 6.75\u003cbr\u003eWidth (In): 2.25\u003cbr\u003eDepth (In): 2.5\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"Polaris-Text--root Polaris-Text--bodyMd\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSmall cracks in the arm and base\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan data-sheets-root=\"1\"\u003e157336\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"sku 157000","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52192137314599,"sku":"157336","price":95.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0826\/1015\/9911\/files\/IMG_2044_69441fae-17b2-4eb6-aaf6-a5f8b77ae71f.jpg?v=1790628230","url":"https:\/\/africadirect.com\/products\/songye-miniature-figure-congo-rohner-collection-157336","provider":"Africa Direct","version":"1.0","type":"link"}