Mother and child figure
Gallery Location
Shreyas and Mina Ajmera Gallery of Africa, the Americas and Asia-Pacific
Maker
Unidentified Yombe artist
Medium
Wood, pigment, glass
Geography
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Date
late 19th-early 20th century
Dimensions
57.2 cm
Object number
HA848
Collection
Department
Art & Culture: Global Africa
Bibliography
This kneeling figure, serene and aloof, conveys a sense of quiet power. The Yombe are one of several Kongo groups known for wood and ivory mother and child figures which served a variety of religious, social and political purposes. Such figures were sometimes placed on shrines or were the prized possessions of important political leaders and diviners who associated the figures with the source of their mystical power.
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