Preview
Geography
Democratic Republic of the Congo, Africa, Zaire
Culture
Baluba People
Medium
Wood
Dimensions
8 x 1 8/16 x 1 12/16 in. (20.3 x 3.81 x 4.4 cm)
7.157 oz. (202.9 g)
Credit Line
Bequest of David P. Harris ('46), 2020
Accession Number
2020.1
Provenance
Purchased from New Manila Importing Company in 1975.
Condition
Several rather deep cracks in the piece, particularly in the lower half.
References
Brad Hostetler, with Ani Parnagian, "From Private to Public: The Collection of David P. Harris," in Ethiopian Objects in the Blick-Harris Study Collection: Art, Context, and the Persistence of Form, eds. Brad Hostetler, and Lynn Jones, Peregrinations: Journal of Medieval Art & Architecture 8, no. 1 (Spring 2022): 5–25. https://digital.kenyon.edu/perejournal/vol8/iss1/1/
Description
The pregnant woman, nude to the waist, folds her hands under her swollen belly. There are indications of an elaborate headdress which begins with braids and flattens out at the back. Her eyes and mouth are represented by slits; her flat nose is arrow-shaped.