[Untitled]
Item
Accession Number
2024.5.
Subject
Figure|Ritual|Central Africa
Country
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Date
Early 20th Century
Medium
Patinated wood
Format
H x W x D: 20 in x 7 1/2 in x 6 3/4 in (50.8 cm x 19.05 cm x 17.145 cm)
Description
The commemorative, seated mother and child figure is a common archetype of feminine beauty in Kongo history. The mother sits, cross-legged with a small child across her lap. The proportions are exaggerated, as the mother figures head is enlarged in comparison to the rest of the body. Though hollow, the eyes may have had inlaid glass. Eyes made of glass would indicate the commemorative role of the sculpture, as the reflective quality of the material serves as a connection to the ancestral realm. The teeth are filed and shaped along the top and bottom lips, and the nostrils flare outwards. The elaborate coiffure atop the mothers head indicates a woman of elite status. Spanning across the figures shoulders and chest are scarification patterns carved at a high relief. The child figure is less detailed, laying on its back with its arms placed over its torso.
Type
Maternity Figure
Conforms To
Kongo