Paul Gilman, Liège

Pierre Dartevelle (1940-2022), Brussels

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

This commemorative sculpture of a chief is depicted in the classic funda nkata posture, seated cross-legged. The Rotthier figure belongs to a well-defined corpus of Yombe sculptures identified and discussed by Raoul Lehuard (Art Bakongo. Les centres de style, Arnouville, 1989, vol. II, pp. 482–488).

To date, we have identified approximately ten works by the same hand, including two that were collected at an early date by Count Charles-Antoine de Briey between 1911 and 1913. Other known examples include the sculpture in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the former J. P. Jernander collection example, and the figure from the Van Opstal collection, sold at Artcurial, Art Tribal, Paris, Hôtel Dassault, 10 June 2008, lot 127.