Male Reliquary Figure

This figure has all the typical features of Mvai statuary: a voluminous body and protruding barrel belly decorated with scarifications.The arms are disproportionately small, with hands held tightly. But the most typical Mvai trait is the massive head with its remakable plaited coiffure,with three crests gathered at the nape of the neck. It has a narrowing heart-shaped meditative face, coffee-bean eyes with heavy half-closed lids, a fine nose, a wide, slightly downturned mouth with filed teeth.The figure is applied with heavy white patina.