Collected in situ by Dr. Van Hoorde, circa 1934–1935

Arman Collection (1928–2005), Paris

Baron Frédéric “Freddy” Rolin (1919–2001), Brussels

Christie's, Amsterdam, African and Oceanic Art from the Estate of the Late Baron Freddy Rolin, July 2, 2002, lot 262

Pierre Dartevelle (1940–2022), Brussels

Jean-Jacques Rotthier Collection (1932–2009), Brussels, then by descent

Monaco, Forum Grimaldi, Arts of Africa : 7000 ans d'art africain, July 16–September 4, 2005

Tervuren, Belgium, Le Sensible et la Force / Sprekende Beelden, Royal Museum for Central Africa (RMCA), April 27–September 5, 2004

Neyt (François), Songye. La Redoutable Statuaire Songye d'Afrique Centrale/Songye. The Formidable Statuary of Central Africa, Anvers: Mercatorfonds, 2004, p. 222, n°188 

Le Sensible et la Force, par Baeke, Bouttiaux & Dubois, Tervuren: MRAC, 2004, p. 50-51, cat. 18 

Bouttiaux (Anne-Marie), Sensitivity and Power, a photographic homage to Songye sculptors, dans Tribal Art Magazine, n° 35, summer 2004, p. 67, fig. 9 

Arts of Africa. 7000 ans d'art africain, Monaco: Skira, 2005, p. 352, fig. 8c 

Baeke (Vivian), Death is not an end: the role of Songye statuary in the cycle of life, dans Finalité sans fin/Finality without end, Brussels: BRUNEAF, 2017, p.113, ill. 6 

These four exceptional monumental sculptures reflect the power, complexity, and spiritual richness of Songye thought. Created as communal protectors, these mankishi (sing. nkishi) served as mediators between the human and spirit worlds. While smaller figures were carved for individual use, large-scale statues such as the four presented here safeguarded entire communities, often remaining active across several generations.

The creation of an nkishi required a partnership between artistic mastery and spiritual authority. A master sculptor first carved the figure, paying particular attention to geometric balance and the subtle interplay of volumes and curves. The choice of a renowned carver enhanced both the prestige of the patrons who commissioned the work and that of the community it was intended to protect. A ritual specialist (nganga) then activated the figure’s power by inserting sacred medicinal substances (bishimba) into cavities in the abdomen and the horn projecting from the top of the head.

Each added material carried a specific symbolic significance. Often named after celebrated chiefs, these community figures acquired distinct reputations of their own through their perceived efficacy in ensuring fertility, healing, and protection.