Female Figure
Female Figure
before 1935
Wood and porcelain
Overall: 20.3 cm (8 in.)
Gift of Katherine C. White 1975.164
Location
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Description
Small sacred sculptures among the Bembe serve as symbols of spiritual protection for their owners. Substances are inserted into an anal orifice, covered with sacred white clay known as mukuya, and then consecrated by a priest-diviner (nganga). The beauty of the figure's strong, finely rendered features and intricate body marks enhance the owner's religious experience.
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