[Untitled]
Item
Accession Number
2024.49.
Subject
Figure|Ritual|West Africa
Country
Ghana
Date
20th Century
Medium
Wood, pigment
Format
H x W x D: 11 3/4 in x 4 1/4 in x 3 1/4 in (29.845 cm x 10.795 cm x 8.255 cm)
Description
A seated wooden female figure, grasping a snake in one hand, and an open space within the clenched fist of the other. The figure has naturalistic, yet exaggerated features and a stylized coiffure. The figure may represent royalty, potentially depicting a Queen Mother, as it is seated in a highly detailed chair and covered in a chalk-like pigment. On festival days, Akan royalty would cover their skin in white powders to show their reverence and devotion.
Type
Female Figure holding a serpent figure
Conforms To
Ashanti