This is a rare "monkey-motif ancestral spirit/medicine pot guardian statue" from the Bulu/Boulou people who live in southern Cameroon, Central Africa. The monkey, imbued with the wisdom of the forest, gazes out as if seeing the future, and its plump belly conceals the "cosmic tank" that houses spiritual power, medicinal power, and abundance. Carved from a single piece of wood, the figure embodies the pure power of the ancestral spirit that never ceases to reside within. In the past, this statue protected the medicine chests and medicine pots of the village healers, acting as a "guardian of the wisdom of the forest" that repelled illness and curses, and played a role in protecting the village. In the early 20th century, similar statues that made their way to Europe shocked Surrealist and Modernist artists, and are highly regarded as a particularly mysterious category within African sculpture. They rarely appear on the market and are museum-quality masterpieces. Size: Height: approx. 34.5cm Width: approx. 15cm Depth: approx. 12cm Weight: approx. 800g Material: Made from a single piece of wood, it is solid and not hollow. The decoration on the neck, made of raffia or natural fibers, remains as it was at the time, and the surface of the body has a rough, natural matte texture that allows you to feel the traditions and history passed down by the tribe. Personally, I feel like good things will happen if you pat its plump buttocks and belly. #amulet #Mingei (Japanese folk art) #AfricanArt #PrimitiveArt #Bulu #Boulou #Cameroon #MedicineFigure #AfricanArt #TribalArt #PrimitiveArt #AfricanMask #CollectorsItem