Architectural board, Hungaan; D.R.C. Congo
Wood, pigment; H. 32 1/2"
The Hungaan people used carved panel
doors on a thatched structure where a sick person
was being treated. Doors depicted in relief a
kitekki, or charm figure, that was given a personal
name and likely served an apotropaic and protective
function. Similar doors have been collected among
their Pindi and Mbala neighbors. The motif, however,
is a highly conventionalized example of the "displayed
female motif" in which a figure is shown with
splayed bent legs, exposing the genital area.
