Cabinet V: Shelf 1
The Human Figure in African Art
The human figure is a frequent motif in the arts of many African peoples. Though the proportions and style of freestanding figures, which vary by region or ethnic group, may not be naturalistic, what is represented is nevertheless easily identified (a mother and child, for example). The artist’s goal was not an accurate rendering of the physical body; rather the proportions or details of the figure, such as scarification patterns and hairstyle, often reflect an attempt to produce a culturally meaningful object that expresses ideals of beauty, morality, and/or wisdom. In Luluwa figures from the Democratic Republic of Congo, for example, the long neck, adorned with either scarification patterns or necklaces, expresses both high rank and beauty, while the exaggerated belly and buttocks indicate the woman’s fertility.
The human figure is also incorporated into objects in African art traditions. A carved wooden spoon featuring a pair of legs as its handle might have been used in both ceremonial and ritual contexts. Dan and neighboring groups in Liberia and the Ivory Coast displayed spoons incorporating the human form during the large feasts accompanying masquerade ceremonies; these were intended to honor the generosity and hard work of a community’s most hospitable woman. It is believed that African artists’ remarkable propensity to give human characteristics to objects like spoons, pots, and other household goods, may have inspired the use of the human form in quotidian objects in other artistic traditions as well, including those of Europe from the fifteenth century onwards.
Baulé
Male Figure
carved wood
14 9/16 in x 3 1/8 in x 2 15/16 in (37 cm x 8 cm x 7.5 cm);14 9/16 in x 3 1/8 in x 2 15/16 in (37 cm x 8 cm x 7.5 cm)
Gift of Prof. and Mrs. Horace M. Miner
Yoruba
Ceremonial Axe
iron and wood
20 1/2 in x 10 1/4 in (52.07 cm x 26.04 cm)
Gift of Susan B. and John F. Ullrich
Lulua
Maternity Figure—Cibola Cult
carved wood
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)
Gift of Robert B. Jacobs
Idoma
Figure
wood, polychrome, beads
12 3/16 in x 3 9/16 in x 3 15/16 in (31 cm x 9 cm x 10 cm);12 3/16 in x 3 9/16 in x 3 15/16 in (31 cm x 9 cm x 10 cm)
Gift of Candis and Helmut Stern
Yoruba
Female Twin Figure
carved wood and glass beads
10 1/16 in x 3 in x 3 in (25.56 cm x 7.62 cm x 7.62 cm)
Gift of Dr. and Mrs. Milford Golden
Suku
Ceremonial Cup
carved wood
3 7/8 in x 2 3/4 in x 5 1/8 in (9.8 cm x 7 cm x 13 cm)
Museum Purchase
Figure
wood
12 3/16 in x 2 3/8 in x 2 1/4 in (31 cm x 6 cm x 5.8 cm);12 3/16 in x 2 3/8 in x 2 1/4 in (31 cm x 6 cm x 5.8 cm)
Gift of Dr. Daniel and Sandra Mato
Akan
Seated Maternity Figure
carved wood with blue, green and red pigments
17 1/2 in x 6 9/16 in x 9 1/16 in (44.5 cm x 16.7 cm x 23 cm);17 1/2 in x 6 9/16 in x 9 1/16 in (44.5 cm x 16.7 cm x 23 cm)
Gift of Dr. James and Vivian Curtis
Hemba
Power Figure
wood
10 3/16 in x 2 9/16 in x 3 3/4 in (25.88 cm x 6.51 cm x 9.53 cm);10 3/16 in x 2 9/16 in x 3 3/4 in (25.88 cm x 6.51 cm x 9.53 cm);2 1/4 in x 1/8 in x 1/8 in (5.72 cm x 0.32 cm x 0.32 cm)
Gift of Candis and Helmut Stern
Vili (Kongo)
Maternity Figure
polychromed wood, porcelain, glass beads, and cloth
11 5/8 in x 5 1/8 in x 5 9/16 in (29.5 cm x 13 cm x 14.2 cm);11 5/8 in x 5 1/8 in x 5 9/16 in (29.5 cm x 13 cm x 14.2 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)
Yoruba
Twin Figure
wood, string, and cowrie shells
12 in x 4 7/16 in x 3 3/4 in (30.48 cm x 11.27 cm x 9.53 cm)
Gift of Prof. and Mrs. Horace M. Miner
Dan
Spoon
wood
21 7/16 in x 4 5/16 in x 2 3/8 in (54.5 cm x 11 cm x 6 cm)
Gift of Dr. Daniel and Sandra Mato