Singiti (commemorative portrait of a chief)
The subject of this posthumous commemorative portrait was the sovereign of a Hemba chiefdom during the nineteenth century in what is today the southeastern sector of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Not every Hemba chief was honored with such a depiction. Such commissions were divinely sanctioned when a sitting chief was visited in a dream by one of his predecessors and this was interpreted as a sign that a singiti figure should be carved in that individual’s honor. Hemba artists emphasized two bodily passages of such representations – the head as the site of one’s intellect where knowledge is taken in through the eyes and the stomach where the umbilicus is the point of connection with one’s extended lineage. A Hemba chief inherited a series of such works that were housed in a dedicated structure centrally located in the community adjacent to his residence. Although the talents of the most gifted Hemba artists were drawn upon for such creations, historically only their caretaker and the ancestors had access to the works.
Artwork Details
- Title: Singiti (commemorative portrait of a chief)
- Artist: Hemba artist
- Date: 19th–early 20th century
- Geography: Democratic Republic of Congo, Upper Congo River
- Culture: Hemba
- Medium: Wood, pigment
- Dimensions: H. 30 11/16 × W. 7 11/16 × D. 8 in. (78 × 19.5 × 20.3 cm)
- Classification: Wood-Sculpture
- Credit Line: Purchase, Jane and Gerald Katcher, Lila Acheson Wallace, Daniel and Marian Malcolm, Hamilton E. James, Anonymous and Steven Kossak Gifts, 2015
- Object Number: 2015.119
- Curatorial Department: The Michael C. Rockefeller Wing
More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Songye artist and nganga (ritual specialist)
19th–first half of 20th century
Kongo artist and nganga
19th–first half of 20th century
Luluwa artist and mpaka manga (ritual specialist)
Late 19th–early 20th century
Mbole artist
19th–early 20th century
Boyo artist
Late 18th–19th century
Related Content
Publications
Books, guides, and catalogues published by The Met.
Free to download
Research Resources
The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.
To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.
Feedback
We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.