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

This colourful panel depicts the head of a red-tailed parrot. It is the counterpart of a related example preserved in the Royal Museum for Central Africa in Tervuren (inv. no. 39.959).

The carving originally formed part of a Kikaku, a richly decorated ritual hut erected for male initiation ceremonies. Situated within secluded bush encampments, the Kikaku served as the setting for an extended period of ritual seclusion. During this transitional phase, initiates underwent rigorous training intended to develop endurance, impart knowledge of customary laws, and transmit ancestral traditions and mythologies. Instruction also included hunting techniques, practical skills, and prescribed codes of conduct governing social relations, particularly interactions with women.