Sengele headdress, Democratic Republic of Congo Early... Lot 6

Sengele headdress, Democratic Republic of Congo Early 20th century Braided fibers, pigments, brass H. 39 cm The headdress is a distinctive element of status, allowing a man to transcend his status as a man to that which he embodies in society. It has always been, and throughout all societies, an element of adornment sublimating the condition of the wearer. A clever, ingenious and totally architectural composition. On the elliptical base on which it is worn, a flattened circle in a light hue is juxtaposed from the front. It rises skyward in a structured arrangement of circles and flattened disks superimposed in layers around a cylindrical shape tapering to its tip. The rhythm is accentuated by the shape of the circles, which become progressively smaller towards the top.