Description
This mother-and-child figure was probably part of a cult concerned with the treatment of infertility. Both her jewelry and her seated pose indicate that the woman occupied a high rank in her community. Her miter-shaped hairstyle, chiseled teeth, and raised body scars--considered to be marks of beauty and perfection--signal that the woman incarnates the founding ancestor of a kinship group.
Provenance
Captain Isidore W. Mesmaekers, Belgian Congo (1920s); his family, by descent (Belgium?); (J. P. Lepage Gallery, Brussels, Belgium) (by at least 1984); (Mr. and Mrs. Willem Vranken-Hoet, Brussels, Belgium, sold to the Cleveland Museum of Art) (1984-2003); The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (2003-)
Accession Number
2003.35
Medium
Wood
Dimensions
Overall: 26.2 x 9.2 x 7.4 cm (10 5/16 x 3 5/8 x 2 15/16 in.)
Classification
Sculpture
Credit Line
Andrew R. and Martha Holden Jennings Fund
