Female figure

Object Details

Undetermined artist

Label Text

A study in contrasts, this figure opposes naturalism with stylization. The naturalistically rendered head rests on an exceptionally long neck that almost equals the length of the torso. Buttocks, thighs and legs, however, display natural forms and proportions. The wedge-shaped feet are adorned with elliptical anklets. The hands, like the feet, are rudimentary.

The origin of this figure and the context in which it was used are not known. It probably comes from the Bondoukou region near the border of Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana where the Mande, Voltaic and Akan peoples live in an artistic melting pot. Because these people interact closely, it is difficult to attribute art from the region to a specific group. This figure reveals the merging and overlapping of the carving styles of the Western Sudan and the Guinea Coast which is typical of this area.

Description

Wood standing female figure with an elongated tubular neck and a striated coiffure with a central crest. The figure has projecting coffee bean eyes, proportionally small arms in relation to the torso and raised scarification marks on the front and both sides of the torso, and at ear level. The left ear is missing and it appears to be an old break. Exceptionally muscular legs with slightly bent knees lead to wedge-shaped feet adorned with carved elliptical anklets. The hands, like the feet, are rudimentary.

Provenance

Henri Kamer, -- to 1968

Evelyn A. J. Hall and John A. Friede, 1968 to 1994

Exhibition History

Conversations: African and African American Artworks in Dialogue - From the Collections of the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art and Camille O. and William H. Cosby, Jr., National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, November 7, 2014-January 24, 2016

Africa: The Art of a Continent, Royal Academy of Arts, London, September 25, 1995-February 28, 1996; Martin-Gropius-Bau, Berlin, February 29-May 1, 1996

Published References

Kreamer, Christine Mullen and Adrienne L. Childs (eds). 2014. Conversations: African and African American Artworks in Dialogue from the Collections of the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art and Camille O. and William H. Cosby, Jr. Washington, D.C.: National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, p. 53, pl. 4.

National Museum of African Art. 1999. Selected Works from the Collection of the National Museum of African Art. Washington, D.C.: National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, p. 47, no. 26.

Phillips, Tom (ed). 1995. Africa: The Art of a Continent. Munich: Prestel; London: Royal Academy of London, p. 448, no. 5.112.

Robbins, Warren M. and Nancy I. Nooter. 1989. African Art in American Collections. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press, p. 106, no. 141.

Content Statement

As part of our commitment to accessibility and transparency, the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art is placing its collection records online. Please note that some records are incomplete (missing image or content descriptions) and others reflect out-of-date language or systems of thought regarding how to engage with and discuss cultural heritage and the specifics of individual artworks. If you see content requiring immediate action, we will do our best to address it in a timely manner. Please email nmafacuratorial@si.edu if you have any questions.

Image Requests

High resolution digital images are not available for some objects. For publication quality photography and permissions, please contact the Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives at https://africa.si.edu/research/eliot-elisofon-photographic-archives/

Credit Line

Gift of Evelyn A.J. Hall and John A. Friede

Early to mid-20th century

Object number

85-8-5

Restrictions & Rights

Usage conditions apply

Type

Figure

Medium

Wood, kaolin

Dimensions

H x W x D: 42.6 x 5.5 x 4.5 cm (16 3/4 x 2 3/16 x 1 3/4 in.)

Geography

Bondoukou area, Côte d'Ivoire

See more items in

National Museum of African Art Collection

National Museum of African Art

Topic

male

female

Record ID

nmafa_85-8-5

Metadata Usage (text)

Usage conditions apply

GUID (Link to Original Record)

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ys7ab4aa808-ce45-4899-a568-02f6cfc166ed