{"id":7111,"date":"2016-11-22T23:22:20","date_gmt":"2016-11-22T22:22:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/detlev.von.graeve.org\/?p=7111"},"modified":"2021-10-20T16:21:13","modified_gmt":"2021-10-20T14:21:13","slug":"the-power-of-the-lady-in-the-leather-skirt-nkishi-milembwe-songye","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/detlev.von.graeve.org\/?p=7111","title":{"rendered":"The power of the Nkishi in the leather skirt (Milembwe – Songye)"},"content":{"rendered":"
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published 17 february 2017<\/p>\n

Original version 22 november 2016\u00a0\u00a0 <\/a><\/p>\n

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The attached picture numbers<\/em> ( no<\/strong> …<\/strong> ) refer to the monograph by Francois Neyt<\/strong> : La redoutable Statuaire Songye<\/strong> d’Afrique Centrale, Fonds Mercator, Antwerp (5 continents) 2004. <\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

\"Milembwe-img_6909\"<\/a>\"milembwe-img_6900\"<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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*<\/h2>\n

I decided fast in the midst of the other figures. Everything important is big and clear, indeed beautifully worked out. At no point the sculpture is crippled or stunted; nothing in it is a stopgap.<\/span><\/p>\n

There is no decorative hatching except the tower hairdo and the powerful eyebrows, even on the hairdo it is only executed in the front view (see no. 38).<\/span><\/p>\n

Flowing forms are contrasted by blocks.<\/span><\/p>\n

Especially the head shows perfect edges, those at the hands and feet are vivid,\u00a0 no compulsory exercise!<\/span><\/p>\n

The masculine-shaped head shows a powerful chin beard, dramatically fleeing forehead, strong shaded eyes and an irresistible smile and a boxer’s nose.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Milembre-bauch-img_6915\"<\/a> Directly below comes a coquettish female body, beginning with tiny little breasts (see no.39) and a small medicine ring (open at the back), with a large umbilicus (nos. 6, 26, 31 and others)\u00a0 and <\/span>belly. The girdled backside is expressive. <\/span> A tight leather skirt stretches <\/span>over her knees – in itself a work of art not a shred that would disorderly cover the feet.<\/span><\/p>\n

Hands and feet are large and expressive (see nos. 30-33), without appearing affected (as in no.16).<\/span> The soles of the feet do not claw in, but almost enclose the rounded base (no. 36, …).<\/span> The oversized feet with the notched toes have visible support by the curvature of the plate, they play with, they are not weak like Luba, Kusu etc. feet.<\/span> Do extremely large feet reveal humor?<\/span> – as\u00a0 the grotesque neck support in Kerchache \/ Paudrat: Songye<\/strong> Fig. 725?<\/span> The hands have long fingers separated by v-shaped long incisions.<\/span><\/p>\n

A self-confident piece of work in the middle of the region’s or <\/span>even the workshop’s <\/span>own style.<\/span><\/p>\n

The virtues of the style are freely realized.<\/span> Neyt has declared his no.39 to a prototype for the<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Neyt-<\/a>

Neyt- Songye no.39-style II, coiffure d’un at\u00e9lier Eki (p.311) 43 cm<\/p><\/div>\n

style II. My figure is also one, but not so strangely blackened and not covered with new apron.<\/span> The angular firmness of the figures is ‚kalebwe‘, but to that the artistic liveliness is added.<\/span> Does this have anything to do with the fact that the Songye are ‚children of the Lulua‘ in the realm of Lunda?<\/span><\/p>\n

Not too pleasing, in general the square-shaped is not abandoned. Instead, the individual elements are heightened <\/span>up to the caricature. The hands for example are formed like a rake to intensify the\u00a0 the affect of the belly.<\/span> And do\u00a0 the extremely miniaturized breasts not boost the power of its arch?<\/span><\/p>\n

The navel describes a flat circle like a coin.<\/span> Other figures cannot keep up with.<\/span><\/p>\n

Size: 47,5 cm with horn<\/p>\n