Fipa or Mambwe, Tanzania

Initiation figure. These tribes live along the shores of Lake Tanganyika in an area of savannah and on the western side of the lake, which is in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. They survive economically from rearing cattle and farming maize and rice. The artistic tradition of the tribes living in this area is strongly influenced by the aesthetic of Zairian tribes living across the lake – in particular, the Tabwa, the Luba and the Bembe. The figures carved by the Fipa and the Mambwe were used during initiation rituals.

Material: wood, glass beads (for eyes)

Size:  H. 26”, W. 7”, D. 6”

Price:  $260 + $32 (S&H)                    [#P9F9S303]