Throughout the Congo, figure sculpture is a nexus for harnessing power and marking rituals. The highly stylized and individual representations of the human form become a vehicle for communication with powerful spirits when magic substances are applied to the figure by a knowledgeable specialist. Janus figures or those with multiple faces may indicate their heightened power, clairvoyance and ability to see in all directions. (Anderson & Kreamer 1989:127, fig. 86)

Provenance:
John Giltsoff, Girona, 2002
James Willis, San Francisco