Tanzania, Nyamwezi people, Mid 20th century, Old protective fetish with shiny patina

Tanzania Nyamwezi people Mid-20th century Wood, mother-of-pearl Old left leg slit, shiny patina 8.5 x 18.3 cm excluding base Private collection The statuette represents a filiform female character with a hieratic appearance, standing on long legs with atrophied feet and resting on a small triangular base. The slender body has a small chest materialized by two circles in slight relief, a small navel taking up the same aesthetic, the sex signified by a notch. The arms bent, detached from the body, palms of the hands turned outwards as a sign of warning. A cylindrical neck receives a head with a face with a severe expression, a fine notch delimiting the hairstyle. The almond-shaped eyes encrusted with mother-of-pearl, the semi-circular eyebrows meeting at the base of a small nose overhanging a thin half-open mouth.

Dimensions :
- Height : 18.3 cm hors socle cm
- Width : 8.5 cm hors socle cm