Seated Female Figure With Snake in Hand
Item
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Accession Number
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2024.49.
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Title
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Seated Female Figure With Snake in Hand
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Ethnic Group
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Ashanti
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Subject
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Figure|Ritual|West Africa
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Country
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Ghana
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Date
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20th Century
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Medium
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Wood, pigment
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Format
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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)
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Description
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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.
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Type
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Female Figure holding a serpent figure
