Male Figure of a Pair

late 1800s–early 1900s

Africa, Central Africa, Democratic Republic of Congo, probably Ngbandi-style carver

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Medium

Wood, iron alloy, copper alloy, and cloth

Measurements

Overall: 45 x 15.5 x 9.2 cm (17 11/16 x 6 1/8 x 3 5/8 in.)

Credit Line

René and Odette Delenne Collection, Leonard C. Hanna Jr. Fund 2010.459.1

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Location

108A African

Did You Know?

Few examples of Ngbandi sculpture exist, and even fewer retain their adornments.

Description

One of a pair, this male figure is adorned with metal, bead, and shell ornaments at the ears, waist, and ankles. An ornament on his upper arm may identify him as a warrior. Each figure has a series of vertically aligned bumps on the forehead. These represent highly raised keloid scars that were culturally meaningful forms of body modification. Carving of paired figures is well documented among the Ngbandi and their neighbors, the Ngbaka-Minagende, where such sculptures are said to represent the mythical ancestor Seto and his sister-wife, Nabo. Field-based research cannot confirm the existence of figurative couples among the Ngbandi.