In the first half of the 20th century, and even in the last quarter of the 19th century, Songye woodcarvers made statues that served as exotic souvenirs for colonials and whites in transit. This object belongs to that category.

The execution of this object closely matches what a Songye customer could expect of a statue destined to become a nkishi (ritual statue), at least if you disregard details such as the varnish layer and the mannered representation of the hair. This statue is not fake, but a product for tourists. It was not the woodcarver’s intention to make a forgery of a ritual object, like the other non-authentic statues in this display case. He simply carved a Songye-style statue that was destined to play a purely decorative role in a European interior.