Kuyu head-advance payment for Andrea

Rare Kuyu Ebongo Staff Head with Copper Adornment – 57 cm

This Kuyu Ebongo staff head from the Republic of Congo is a powerful representation of the Kuyu people's rich spiritual traditions. Carved from wood and standing 57 cm high, it features a distinctive ringed neck and a copper circle at the top, possibly symbolizing spiritual energy or ancestral power.

Such heads were carried aloft by a dancer enveloped in a large white sheet, likely representing Ebotita, the primordial ancestor of the Kuyu. These performances took place during the Kebekebe ritual, when initiates placed themselves under the protection of the great serpent spirit, Ebongo. Entirely hidden beneath raffia-cloth robes, the dancers held the staff high above their heads, bringing the spirit to life in a mesmerizing display.

The present example likely dates to the early 20th century, bearing stylistic similarities to a related head published in William Fagg’s catalogue for the ” African Art from the Collection of the Late Josef Mueller of Solothurn, Switzerland”.  Christies, London. June 13th, 1978, lot 141

Provenance: French colonial collection.