Teke Fetish Male Figure (Buti) stabbingspears and these terracotta models

and these terracotta models

this statue is a testament to the devotion

and tree-bark fibre bags (bilum / noken) were everyday necessities

Discovery Publishing House

giving the piece its signature luster

Teke Fetish Male Figure (Buti) stabbingspears and these terracotta modelsTeke people, mid 20th century, Republic of the Congo, Central Africa Magnificent small sized Teke fetish male figure (buti), representing a revered ancestor and believed to embody the ancestors substance (ikwii). Carved in the classical Teke style, the figure features a large head, rectangular torso, and slightly bent legs with robust feet. The face is that of an elder, with almond shaped eyes, a wide flat nose, crescent shaped ears, an open mouth,