A Moba Bawoong Tchitcheri Couple

This is the only mid-sized Moba couple I have ever come across. The Moba make three genres of votive figures known as tchitcheri. They are distinguished by patronage, context, scale and degree of abstraction. The smallest, yendu tchitcheri, are placed in the personal shrines kept by all adults. They do not represent any particular person or spirit rather they act as a conduit with the Moba god. The mid-sized bawoong tchitcheri (between 12″ and 40″ tall) are installed in household shrines prominently located in the center of family compounds. Bawoong represent the parents or grandparents of family elders. As symbols of known persons they are more detailed than the smaller tchitcheri or the larger sakwa tchitcheri which honor the founding ancestor of the Moba. Unfortunately, the vast majority of tchitcheri on the market are copies with false patinas and inhanced weathering. Bear in mind the bawoong and sakwa tchitcheri are kept outdoors in a hot, savannah environment with seasonal rains. Note the appropriate level of detail on these bawoong figures (including sexual indicators and facial features), their varied patina, subtle and gently bowed bodies, highly oxidized surfaces and absence of an opaque or oily finish. Each 22″ tall.

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