Mother and child figure
Yombe
Description
Subject Matter:
This maternity figure, an idealized Kongo archetype of historical feminine beauty, represents the mythical mother. Her headdress, scarifications and filed teeth show that she is a woman of high social status, and the figure may have played a commemorative role, to remember an important female ancestor whose descendants make up the royal or chiefly line. This theory is further supported by the inclusion of mirror fragments as eyes, as reflective surfaces are reminiscent of water, a link to the ancestral realm of the Kongo peoples.
Physical Description:
Female figure with crossed legs, breastfeeding a child. The large mother figure is decorated with scarifications on her breasts, shoulders and back. She bears filed teeth, is wearing an elaborate headdress and her face has been decorated with three brass tacks. Mirror fragments were used to evoke eyes. On the back of the sculpture a mirror covers a raised addition containing unknown elements. The figures are seated on a rectangular base with geometric decorations.
Usage Rights:
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