The Shambaa live in the Usambara Mountains in Northeast Tanzania. They share with their neighbours, the Para, Zigua, Bondei and Chagga, a very similar style of figural art. This applies both to large-size ancestor figures (such as the present one) and small figures and stoppers of medicine containers (for initiation and healing rituals).
In the ancestor cult of the Shambaa, the present wood sculpture, also called ‘Gidkoi figure’, represents an important deceased woman or the venerated, mythical female founder of a clan. Stylistically, it displays the typical features of the art of Northeast Tanzania: a large, almost round head on a proportionally smaller body, standing with its legs apart. The eyes are inserts of white glass pearls. The entire figure is wrapped with fabric from head to toe – a frequent feature of sculptures (made of wood or, in the case of smaller ones, of clay) among the tribes of Northeast Tanzania. In these large ancestor figures, parts of the garments of the deceased person were used to envelope the sculpture.
Only the concave face, the large, round close-fitting ears, as well as most of the hands and feet are left free from the tight textile wrapping. The whole figure, carefully manufactured from originally light-coloured, hard wood, appears to be covered with a black, resinous material (perhaps a dye, or traces of sacrificial offerings?).
It is very rare, visibly old, and displays good patina and minor age damage: an old fracture before the right ear and small, old cracks to the back of both feet.
Between c. 1900 and the early 20th century; H: 55 cm. (ME)

Provenance: German Collection, Viennese Private Collection.

Lit.: 'Tanzania' by Marc L. Felix and Maria Kecskesi, ill. p. 155, p. 159, p. 165.