Maternity statue. Beembe. Republic of the Congo. Wood,
beads, fibre, earthenware.
© Africa-Museum, Tervuren
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The Beembe live almost entirely
within the Republic of the Congo, between the western Kongo and the Teke.
Because their territory was outside the main areas of European exploration,
they were virtually overlooked until colonization began. This lack of
recognition, plus a lack of interest in the small objects that these
people produced, explains why Beembe statuary was identified relatively late
after it was seen in European museums and collections.
Little precise ethnographic information exists about the Beembe. Although
their style is quite different from that of their neighbours, the more
widely known Teke, it is believed that ancestral effigies of the Beembe,
like those of the Teke, are associated with rituals of protection, fecundity
or healing. The absence of charms and accessories on the majority of Beembe
figurines may be due to a "clean-up" undertaken by their first Western
owners.
The dominant structural traits of Beembe sculpture include remarkable
scarifications that allow us to determine the identity of the person
represented, as well as his or her social status.
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