This tiny figure is carved from the tusk of a bush pig or of a hippopotomus. The rich, transluscent orange-red patina is the result of the application of palm oil, and the features have been softened by years of wear strung across one shoulder...
The Vili occupy an area just north of Cabinda alnong the Atlantic coast in the Congo (Brazzaville). They belong to a group of peoples, including the Yombe, Sundi, and the Kongo themselves, who speak the KiKongo language, and formed the ancient...