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8 UMMA Objects
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This wooden&nbsp;figure depicts a female with a strikingly large, balloon-shaped animal skin sack tied above the crown of her head. An animal horn has been embedded within this massive sack. Representative of the northern style of Kusu carvings which is known to have sharp, angular forms, this&nbsp;<em>kakudji</em>&nbsp;features an ovoid head; a rounded, convex face and forehead; large ears; prominent cheekbones; coffeebean-shaped eyes within large ocular cavities; a well-defined, pointed nose; an elliptical mouth with slightly parted lips; a long, cylindrical neck; arms bent at the elbow, forming a 90-degree angle at the waist; and breasts that are situated nearly at shoulder level. The figure possesses a swollen belly, indicating pregnancy, and hence, representing the themes of maternity, fertility, and the continuation of the lineage. Animal skin enshrouds the female&rsquo;s lower body. Tukula powder, derived from the camwood tree and used to consecrate&nbsp;<em>kakudji</em>, appears on the figure&rsquo;s
Kusu (Kusu (Luba region style))
Power Figure
1915 – 1925
Gift of Candis and Helmut Stern
2005/1.223
Seated figure holding two smaller figures with three more smaller figures in front, all made from a single piece of brass.&nbsp;
Asante (Asante)
Mother and Child Figure
1850 – 1950
Gift of Michael and Phyllis Courlander
2016/1.253
This woodcarved figure exhibits elaborate diamond-shaped scarifications throughout the torso and crescent-shaped ones across the pubis; a disproportionately long trunk; and, protruding breasts and umbilicus. With semi-spherical feet, the figure stands with knees slightly bent. Her round head features an angular face; a large, concave forehead; coffeebean-shaped eyes; a triangular nose; a small mouth; and a coiffure styled in cascading tiers. The elbows are bent such that her fingers rest atop the shoulders, adjacent to the breasts.
Luba (Luba (culture or style))
Power Figure
1895 – 1905
Gift of Candis and Helmut Stern
2005/1.218
This carved, wooden staff features an anthropomorphic, janiform finial, a smooth midsection, and a spiked base. The two opposing figures are a pair of pregnant women, both of whom have their hands placed upon their protruding bellies. Their facial features share a close resemblance to one another: they have small eyes set in almond-shaped ocular cavities, finely-detailed coiffures, and vertical lines running down their cheeks.  
Nsapo (Nsapo)
Staff
1900 – 1950
Gift of Margaret H. and Albert J. Coudron
2001/2.21
This short, elaborately carved Kongo staff features a diverse range of forms, both anthropomorphic and zoomorphic. From the top, a standing male figure wears a Western-style suit and brimmed hat and holds a small box in his hands; below, an unclothed standing female figure carries a child on her back. Further down are smaller figural representations: a kneeling figure in a position of prayer, a turtle, and a bird on one side and a bird, a turtle, a ram’s horn, and a cross on the other.  
Kongo (Kongo (culture or style))
Staff
1900 – 1950
Gift of Margaret H. and Albert J. Coudron
2001/2.64
This long, slender wooden staff features a kneeling female figure at its finial. Bearing a tall, spade-shaped coiffure and scarifications upon her chest, she is seated with her right hand positioned upon her abdomen and her left hand upon her hip. The staff is decorated with fine, geometric incisions as well as several large, rounded shapes which create segments along its midsection.
Kongo (Kongo (culture or style))
Staff
1900 – 1950
Gift of Margaret H. and Albert J. Coudron
2001/2.11
This woodcarved figure depicts a female with a large bowl-shaped vessel upon the crown of her head, intended to be a container for symbolic, medicinal and spirit “activating” ingredients. Representative of the Kasongo style (regarded as the “classical” or “pure” Kusu stylistic form), this <em>kakudji</em> features an inverted, triangular-shaped head, a wide, convex forehead, high ears, cowrie shell eyes, a triangular nose, an oval mouth with protruding lips, a pointed chin, and conical breasts. The figure possesses a prominent belly indicating pregnancy, and representing the themes of maternity, fertility, and the continuation of the lineage. A large piece of textured cloth tied in place with rope encircles the female’s lower arms and lower body.
Kusu (Kusu (Luba region style))
Power Figure
1925 – 1935
Gift of Candis and Helmut Stern
2005/1.222
Seated figure on a stool holding a child. Both are carved from a single piece of wood.
Bamana (Bamana)
Mother and Child Figure
1850 – 1950
Gift of Michael and Phyllis Courlander
2016/1.250
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