Maternity Figure—Cibola Cult

Accession Number
1991/2.108

Title
Maternity Figure—Cibola Cult

Artist(s)
Lulua

Artist Nationality
Lulua

Object Creation Date
1900-1990

Medium & Support
carved wood

Dimensions
8 1/4 in x 2 1/16 in x 1 3/4 in (21 cm x 5.2 cm x 4.5 cm);8 1/4 in x 2 1/16 in x 1 3/4 in (21 cm x 5.2 cm x 4.5 cm)

Credit Line
Gift of Robert B. Jacobs

Label copy
Lua make statuary (PFINGU) for a variety of purposes, including hunting, fertility, divination and protection. The statue's purpose is known only to the owner. The elaborate surface relief designs that represent body scarification are typical features.
5/22/99
On the advice of a diviner, a woman having childbearing problems in Lulua society will commission a wood carver to carve a figurative sculpture. When a woman follows the prescribed rituals, the object is believed to ensure that she will be fertile and that the spirit of the deceased child will return to the mother’s womb to be reborn. The bodily scars and elaborate coiffure are signs of high moral standing, physical beauty, and adult status. Her swollen stomach and exaggerated buttocks allude to her pregnant, fertile state.

Primary Object Classification
Sculpture

Primary Object Type
figure

Collection Area
African

Rights
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please visit http://umma.umich.edu/request-image for more information and to fill out the online Image Rights and Reproductions Request Form.

Keywords
Figures
females
pregnant
standing

2 Related Resources

Childbearing, birth, midwifery, maternity
(Part of 8 Learning Collections)
Cabinet V: Shelf 1
(Part of: Albertine Monroe-Brown Study-Storage Gallery)

& Author Notes

Web Use Permitted

On display

UMMA Gallery Location ➜ AMH, 2nd floor ➜ 205 (Albertine Monroe-Brown Study-Storage Gallery) ➜ Cabinet V ➜ Shelf 1