Women’s Deity of Fishing

Curious piece depicting an ancestor. The statue is kneeling and has no legs, instead there is a kind of fish tail that ends in the head of the frequent dragon in the statuery bidjogo. The head rests on a strong and long neck and is fully tilted toward the sky with its mouth open in an imploring attitude. These statues are used in domestic cults. It is a female deity that protects fishing. Very dark patina. These figures of characters with open mouth and looking up at the sky are frequent in the statuary bidjogo. This statue can be seen in the attached image taken on the island of Bubaque. Dark wood, heavy and hard.