The Thinker of Chokwe Whenever reference is made to a work of art named “The Thinker” in Angola, most people will think of the statuette “The Chokwe Thinker” (“O Pensador”). The history of “O Pensador”, also known as “Samanhonga” or “Kuku”, goes back to 1932, when the Swiss painter and ethnologist Théodore Delachaux found the statuette in a “divination basket” (a basket containing many small objects used for the diviner to made prophecies at the request of his clients) during an expedition to Angola. It is a wooden figurine, representing an elder, woman or man, in a position of deep meditation. The gracious and inspiring position of the elder encouraged Delachaux, influenced by August Rodin’s sculpture “Le Penseur”, to name it “The Thinker”. “O Pensador” is a work of art made by the Chokwe, a Bantu-speaking people living in northeastern Angola, as well as in southwestern parts of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and in the northwest of Zambia. Famous in Africa for their flourishing cultural traditions, the Chokwe’s semantically complex art forms include sculpted figures, masks, thrones, divination implements, basketry, and ceramics, many of which express historical, moral, religious and political conceptions. A symbol of Angola’s national culture and represented even in the filigree of the Kwanza banknotes, the country’s currency, the Thinker is a sculpture of Cokwe origin, a Bantu ethnic group concentrated in northeastern Angola, southwestern Congo, and the far northwestern part of Zambia. The sculpture represents the figure of an elder, woman or man, and reflects the relationship that Angolan culture and other African cultures have with the elders, who represent wisdom and the holders of experience and the secrets of life. Its origin is still undefined, despite various speculations. It is believed that the sculpture dates back to pre-colonial times (before the Berlin Congress of 1884-5), but it was only since 1980 that the figure of the thinker began to be used as a reference of Angola’s national collectivity. “The piece, which some also call Kuku Samanyoga, is part of the n`gombo ya cisuka, the divination basket, which gives it a mystical and sacred origin: it has nothing to do with the representation of “Dante at the entrance to the gates of hell,” nor does it have any allusion to the famous poem “The Divine Comedy” as “the other” does. “Our thinker” has more to do with analyzing the present, predicting the future or, in general, with the image of the elder who meditates.” – Jornal de Angola – The Cokwé thinker in his labyrinth (2018) * Dimensions: 190x50x90 mm * Weight: 235g * Artist Name: Unknown Angola * Condition: This piece is in fair condition, with minimal signs of wear commensurate with age. * Provenance: Acquired from an antique dealer Please review all available pictures.
 What you see is the exact item you will get.
 The product is used and Vintage; it is for sale for collectable and decoration use. If you have any questions regarding this listing, please do not hesitate to contact me. It would be my pleasure to address your inquiries. The item will be carefully packed and sent by registered mail.