Commemorative figure "ngya"

wood, scorch marks, base

This grave figure represents a deceased Bongo hunter. The unusual headgear must have distinguished him already during his lifetime.

The Bongo hunting people live in southern Sudan, a region that is mainly grassland.

The traditional burial cult of the Bongo is directly related to their hunting rituals and the construction of a burial mound is figuratively the last festival to be held in honor of a hunter.

This ensemble of wooden monuments and the scale of the feast confirm the title and rank attained by the deceased during his lifetime, and ensure that he maintains that place of distinction in the afterlife.