Ancestor figure (female in Manda style) / Artist Unknown, African, Congo (Zaire), Tabwa
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About this Item
Record Details
- Accession Number
- 1987/1.157.1
- Title
- Ancestor figure (female in Manda style)
- Artist Nationality
- Congolese (Zairean)
- Medium and Support
- wood
- Object Creation Date
- circa 1920
- Object Creation Place
- Africa (continent)
- Congo, Democratic Republic of the (nation)
- Creation Place 1
- Africa (continent)
- Creation Place 2
- Congo, Democratic Republic of the (nation)
- Dimensions
- 26.67 cm x 6.7 cm x 5.4 cm (10 1/2 in. x 2 5/8 in. x 2 1/8 in.)
- Primary Object Classification
- Sculpture
- Primary Object Type
- figure
- Physical Description
- Carved wooden figure of a human. The torso, neck and head make an elongated cylinder along the certical axis. The hands rest at its sides near the umbilicus. The hair, face, hands, genitals, and feet are detailed.
- Subject Matter
- Representation of a female ancestor figure. The incised patterns on the figure mimic body scarification patterns then in use in Tabwa communities. The patterns are a kind of cosmogram: the symmetry and zigzag lines depict Tabwa conceptions of the relationships between the divine and earthly. Scarification is a kind of memory-making: the process of undergoing scarification creates a distinct mnemonic device, allowing the past to be quickly and vividly recalled in the present. In both skin and wood, the patterns associated with ancestral ties are made durable. The figure's coiffure is short and plaited, typical of Tabwa females, and denotes age and status.
- Primary Keywords
- ancestor figures
- females
- figures
- figures (representations)
- nudes
- standing
- tabwa
- women
- Secondary Keywords
- african
- african styles by region
- central and equatorial african styles
- luba region
- objects we use
- people
- people (agents)
- people and culture
- people and occupations
- people by gender
- physical activities
- physical activities by general context
- styles and periods
- styles and periods by region
- visual works
- visual works by subject type
- western democratic republic of congo styles
- Rights
- If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please visit https://umma.umich.edu/about/services/request-image/ for more information and to fill out the online Image Rights and Reproductions Request Form.
Technical Details
- Collection
- University of Michigan Museum of Art
- Image Size
- 2592 x 3888
- File Size
- 127 KB
- Record
- 1987/1.157.1
- Link to this Item
-
https://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/musart/x-1987-sl-1.157.1/1987_1.157.1.jpg
Rights and Permissions
Related Links
Portfolios
IIIF
- Manifest
-
https://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/i/image/api/manifest/musart:1987-SL-1.157.1:1987_1.157.1.JPG
Cite this Item
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- Full citation
-
"Ancestor figure (female in Manda style); Artist Unknown, African, Congo (Zaire), Tabwa." In the digital collection University of Michigan Museum of Art. https://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/musart/x-1987-sl-1.157.1/1987_1.157.1.jpg. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed April 19, 2024.
