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Maternity Figure

Vili (Kongo)

Artwork Details

Maternity Figure
19th century
Vili (Kongo)
polychromed wood, porcelain, glass beads, and cloth
10 3/8 x 4 5/8 x 4 ½ in. (26.35 x 11.75 x 11.43 cm);11 9/16 x 5 1/16 x 5 9/16 in. (29.37 x 12.86 x 14.13 cm)
Museum purchase made possible by the Betty J. Lockett Memorial Fund; the Mary Kujawski Memorial Fund; and the Alfred E. Pernt Memorial Fund, in honor of Dr. of Technical Services Max H.J. Pernt and his wife Anna Pernt (née Mueller)
1993/2.66

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Description

The Vili, along with the nearby Yombe and other Kongo groups, produce many mother and child sculptures. While these are said to serve a variety of ritual and political purposes, their precise use remains largely undocumented. Carvings from this area tend to be carefully and fairly naturalistically rendered.

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