Kongo / Yombe Couple Power Figure, Congo #988

  Kongo / Yombe Couple Power Figure, Congo #998 Date/Period: Second half 20th century Male and Female Couple / Pairings are a common and diverse theme in African art, frequently representing Primordial Ancestors, Ideal Social Units, or Spiritual Beings united as Intermediaries to the Spirit World and in Divination. These depictions serve various functions, including reinforcing societal ideals of Fertility and Lineage, acting as powerful Ritual Objects, and commemorating Ancestral Connections to the living community. In the 13th century, the Kongo people, led by their king Ne Kongo, settled in a region at the crossroads of the present-day DRC, Angola and Gabon. Two centuries later, the Portuguese came into contact with the Kongo and converted their King to Christianity. Although Monarchical, the Kongo political system had a democratic aspect because the King was actually placed at the head of the Kingdom following an election held by a council of tribal governors. This King, also call