Christian Duponcheel, Brussels
Saul and Marsha Stanoff, Tarzana, acquired from the above in the 1970s
Sotheby's, New York, The Saul and Marsha Stanoff Collection, May 17, 2007, lot 37
Leslie Sacks, Los Angeles, acquired at the above auction

Amanda M. Maples (ed.), African Art from the Leslie Sacks Collection: Refined Eye, Passionate Heart, Milan, 2013, pp. 58-59, fig. 22

Very good condition overall, wear consistent with age and use within the traditional context. An old loss to the bottom proper left part of the coiffure, and a small chip to the proper left side of the lower lip, both as visible in the catalogue illustration. An old recessed hollow to the top of the head. A few other small chips, nicks, and scratches. Exceptionally fine layered black-brown patina, glossy and with encrustation.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

The Buyu (or Boyo) are famous for their elegant and cubistic art. Situated at the very heart of one of the most prolific artistic regions of the Congo, the Buyu's aesthetic tradition is closely related to the Hemba, Luba, Tumbwe, and Tabwa. As LaGamma (2002: 75) notes: "the Boyo [...] are a complex blend of peoples and cultural identities. The extensive cultural interaction that underlies their heritage has led to some dispute regarding the definition and place of Boyo sculptural traditions within the broader context of the region's art history. Although scholars have described Boyo sculpture as 'proto-Luba', suggesting that it might have served as the basis for related traditions [...] there is also the idea that it was significantly informed by those same traditions."

Here this cultural interaction is particularly evident in the coiffure, which shows a connection with Tumbwe or Tabwa sculpture (see Maurer and Roberts 1985: 73, figs. III 38 and 39 for figures with related 🌄hairstyles). This female ancestor figure may represent a known ancestor, or it may equally represent the founding mother of a lineage from the remote past; "As is often the case [...] the actual historicity m♕ay be secondary to the functionality of the ancestral image as means of communicating between worlds."(Maples 2013: 58). The figure would have once been inserted into a metal spike to serve as a staff finial, part of the personal regalia of a Buyu chief or notable. With its languid gaze into the ancestral world, the figure would reinforce the ruler's authority, a symbol of his connection to the spirits of his forebears.