Gothamgallery Fine African Art - Kenya Giryama Kigango Post For Sale

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Outstanding African Kenya Giryama Kigango Post – Rare Smaller Form

Height: 68.5 Centimeters
Measurements Sculpture Only
Wood
Estimated Early 20th Century
Fair - Good
Stylized sculpture simple carving relief geometric designs weathered surface
US East Coast - Estimated $18.00
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INTERNATIONAL buyers WELCOME

Custom Base Included With This Piece

Documentation of Authenticity / Any Available Provenance Will Be Included With This Piece.

CONDITION
Wood deterioration all over, age cracks, worn areas, chips, overall condition fair - good. Thank you and please view my other items.

BACKGROUND
The Girayama live in south-east Kenya, on the shores of the Indian Ocean. At the end of the 19th century they were a small tribe living by rearing cattle, but today they number 150,000 and live from farming and the tourist industry. Their artistic reputation rests on their grave posts, called Kigango. The Kigango’s function is religious, social, cultural and psychological and forms a symbolic structure that bridges both worlds of the living and the dead by being half buried in the earth. It is a visible reminder to the living to respect the ancestor but also by reciprocation the ancestor will protect the family. The post always faces West towards the setting sun. When the spirit of the deceased appears in the dreams of the living and complains about the lack of a body, a kigango funerary post is erected. Vigango (plural of Kigango) are not necessarily grave markers, for they do not mark the physical remains of the deceased. Instead, their role is to provide a new abode, in essence a new body, for the spirit of the deceased. In order to be honored with a kigango, the deceased had to be an important, and wealthy, member of the Giryama tribe. Over time, the memory of the deceased would fade away as generations passed by and the kigango would be neglected, then forgotten when the homestead would be abandoned for brighter pastures.

A custom detachable base is included with this piece. It is important to properly exhibit a beautiful piece of art. The splendor of the piece cannot be fully revealed without a correct display. Custom bases can cost a minimum of thirty and up to several hundred dollars depending on its complexity and size. It is very difficult to locate a good stand maker regardless of price, but fortunately this piece will be appropriately displayed and ready for you and your guests’ enjoyment.
Painter Fred Uhlman words - Most of the artists I admired, Picasso, Modigliani, Deraini, to mention only a few, had collected African art and had been profoundly influenced by it. Shortly afterwards I bought the Baule Fetish and the Baule bobbin which are still two of the finest pieces in my collection. It is easy to see why I bought them and why from that moment I have never stopped collecting. The head of the bobbin or heddle - pulley which is after all only a functional object for the purpose of weaving seemed to me then and today as beautiful as a Greek goddess. The fetish moved me as deeply as the bobbin by its silent tragic dignity and its air of profound meditation. GUARANTEE
AUTHENTICITY AND CONDITION OF ITEMS ARE GUARANTEED TO THEIR DESCRIPTION AND PICTURES.
QUESTIONS
PLEASE EMAIL WITH ANY QUESTIONS, ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, OR MORE DETAIL PICTURES.
SHIPPING
SHIPPING VIA USPS PARCEL POST UNLESS STATED OTHERWISE. OTHER SHIPPING OPTIONS AVAILABLE. INTERNATIONAL VIA USPS PRIORITY MAIL -SHIPPING COST PLEASE INQUIRE.
COMBINED SHIPPING: SHIPPING IS ALWAYS COMBINED WHEN POSSIBLE, UNLESS THE PIECE IS TOO LARGE OR DELICATE.
SHIPPING TIME: ITEM ARE CAREFULLY PACKAGED AND SHIPPED OUT WITHIN 10 DAYS OF PAYMENT. PACKING FRAGILE ART ITEM NEEDS CAREFUL ATTENTION AND WILL NEVER BE FAST, BUT WE DO OUT BEST TO MAKE SURE IT WILL ARRIVE FOR YOU SAFELY. IF YOU NEED THE ITEM QUICKLY PLEASE EMAIL FIRST FOR ARRANGEMENT.
PAYMENT
PAYMENT ACCEPTED - PAYPAL.

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This item has been shown 105 times. Gothamgallery Fine African Art - Kenya Giryama Kigango Post: $138