Dogon - 200377 - Tribal used African Teke mask - Congo. - Verkocht

Diameter: 26 cm.

The name of this people indicates its occupation—that is, trading—from teke, meaning “to buy.” The Teke settled in a territory lying across Republic of Congo, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Gabon. During the 15th century they were integrated into the Tio kingdom, but attained independence in the 17th century. The basic social unit was the family, under the authority of the mfumu, or head of the family; the latter had the right of life and death over all family members and his prestige grew as their number grew – hence a tendency to own many slaves to increase one’s power and reputation. In terms of spiritual life, the mfumu mpugu, the village chief chosen as religious leader, was the most important personage; he kept the basket that contained the magic statuettes and the bones of the ancestors. The Teke often chose a blacksmith as chief – an important person in the community whose profession was passed down from father to son. The diviner, both sorcerer and healer, was also powerful; facilitating retributions, he would render effective the mussassi, personal protective statuettes, and would perform divination in instances of illness or death. The economy of the Teke is mainly based on farming maize, millet and tobacco, but the Teke are also hunters, skilled fishermen and traders. They believe in a supreme being, the creator of the universe called Nzambi, whose favors can be obtained with the help of tutelary spirits.