mbuti pygmies
Pongo (bark bast painting), ca. 1950
Tree bark, natural pigments
H 75 W 35 cm
unsigned
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Further images
This bark bast painting by the Mbúti Pygmies of the Democratic Republic of Congo exemplifies the rich tradition of African abstraction rooted in the Ituri Forest. Created from tree bark...
This bark bast painting by the Mbúti Pygmies of the Democratic Republic of Congo exemplifies the rich tradition of African abstraction rooted in the Ituri Forest. Created from tree bark and natural pigments, the composition features rhythmic geometric patterning and repeated motifs that reflect the Mbúti’s deep relationship with nature and ritual practice.
Often discussed within the context of non-Western modernism, Mbúti bark paintings have long been admired for their formal clarity and material intelligence. Their emphasis on pattern, repetition, and natural materials has drawn comparisons to postwar abstraction and minimalism, making works such as this highly resonant within both ethnographic and modern art collections.
Mbúti bark paintings have long been admired by modern artists and collectors for their striking formal clarity and tactile materiality. Bridging ritual function and abstract composition, this work resonates strongly with postwar European abstraction and minimalism, while remaining firmly rooted in its cultural context.
“Pongo” consist of ficus bark fibers that were cut and processed by the men. After they were carefully beaten into a thin textile, the women took over the decoration of the hip scarves. The symbolic motifs from the mythical imagination of the Mbuti that are used for the design are the same as those used for body painting.
Provenance
- Gottfried Honegger (1917-2016), Zurich.
- Hammer Auctions, Basel (24.04.2024, lot 59).
- Swiss private collection, Bern.
Literature
Phillips, Tom (ed.) / Appiah, Kwame Anthony / Ekpo Eyo / Mark, Peter / Gates, Henry Louis Jr. / Preston Blier, Suzanne (1996). Africa. The art of a continent. Prestel, Munich.
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