Mbona Ntadi Stone Carved Seated Figure - Art for Eternity
Mbona Ntadi Stone Carved Seated Figure - Art for Eternity
Mbona Ntadi Stone Carved Seated Figure - Art for Eternity
Mbona Ntadi Stone Carved Seated Figure - Art for Eternity
Mbona Ntadi Stone Carved Seated Figure - Art for Eternity
Mbona Ntadi Stone Carved Seated Figure - Art for Eternity
Mbona Ntadi Stone Carved Seated Figure - Art for Eternity
Mbona Ntadi Stone Carved Seated Figure - Art for Eternity
Mbona Ntadi Stone Carved Seated Figure - Art for Eternity
Mbona Ntadi Stone Carved Seated Figure - Art for Eternity
Mbona Ntadi Stone Carved Seated Figure - Art for Eternity
Mbona Ntadi Stone Carved Seated Figure - Art for Eternity
Mbona Ntadi Stone Carved Seated Figure - Art for Eternity
Mbona Ntadi Stone Carved Seated Figure - Art for Eternity
Mbona Ntadi Stone Carved Seated Figure - Art for Eternity
Mbona Ntadi Stone Carved Seated Figure - Art for Eternity Mbona Ntadi Stone Carved Seated Figure - Art for Eternity Mbona Ntadi Stone Carved Seated Figure - Art for Eternity Mbona Ntadi Stone Carved Seated Figure - Art for Eternity Mbona Ntadi Stone Carved Seated Figure - Art for Eternity Mbona Ntadi Stone Carved Seated Figure - Art for Eternity Mbona Ntadi Stone Carved Seated Figure - Art for Eternity

Kongo Carved Stone Ntadi (Mintadi) Seated Memorial Figure

15334

$3,450
/
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DR Congo, Lower Congo region, Kongo peoples, 19th–early 20th century AD

A fine carved figural sculpture in warm tan stone, rendered with an angular, sculptural poise. The dignitary is seated cross‑legged in the classic ntadi attitude, one hand resting on the hip while the other rises to support the cheek, the head tilted slightly in an expression of calm, reflective authority. He wears a beaded necklace and the tall cylindrical royal cap (mpu), insignia of chiefly rank, his closed eyes and serene mouth conveying the composure and wisdom of a noble leader.

Such figures, carved in steatite or soft stone by sculptors of the Bamboma and related Kongo subgroups of the Lower Congo, were placed upon the graves of important individuals to commemorate the deceased and guard the tomb. The cross‑legged seated pose, known as funda nkata, symbolizes balance and reflection, the circle of the crossed legs evoking the cycle of a life. The figure retains a smooth, pale surface with age‑appropriate wear and stable surface cracks consistent with its age and history.

Size 12 inches (30.5cm) high + custom base.

For closely related examples, compare the seated tumba memorial figures in the collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the High Museum of Art

Provenance: May Department Store, Los Angeles; St Louis Museum of Art, St Louis; Sotheby's NY, Important Tribal Art, Nov 1986 lot 200; Mr. Romy Rey, London.

Every object is guaranteed authentic and as described, and has been legally acquired and imported in accordance with U.S. and applicable foreign regulations on the movement and sale of antiquities. A signed certificate of authenticity with a description and photograph accompanies this object. Any restoration is described on the invoice.

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