The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of June 18, 2026

A warm, variegated brown ivory sculpture depicts a woman standing atop a shallow, oval spoon bowl. Her head tilts right with large eyes and a cross-hatched hair pattern. She crosses both arms over her chest above horizontal bands encircling her waist. Her legs are slightly bent, ending in wide, blocky feet. The polished but textured surface features fine, cross-hatched lines inside the bowl.

Female Figurine

late 1800s–early 1900s

Africa, Central Africa, Democratic Republic of Congo , Cabinda, or Republic of the Congo, probably Yombe-style maker

(most likely)
Ivory
Overall: 12 x 2.5 x 4.5 cm (4 3/4 x 1 x 1 3/4 in.)
René and Odette Delenne Collection, Leonard C. Hanna Jr. Fund 2010.449
Location: Not on view

Did You Know?

This object is believed to be a portion of a spoon or a spatula. The position of the prisoner is believed to be a sacrificial victim.

Description

This female figurine may be a fragment of a spoon or spatula, but is not confirmed. Iconography of the human image is common in the art of Kongo-speaking peoples, however, this object’s function or purpose is unknown. The position of the arms has been interpreted as that of a bound prisoner while the positioning of the head represents a broken neck or severed head, thus identifying as a sacrificial victim.
  • ?-1972
    (René De Wolf, Brussels, BE, before 1972, sold to René and Odette Delenne)
    1972-2010
    René [1901-1998] and Odette Delenne [1925-2012], Brussels, BE, 2010, sold to the Cleveland Museum of Art
    2010
    The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH, 2010
  • Petridis, Constantine, et al. Fragments of the Invisible: The René and Odette Delenne Collection of Congo Sculpture. Cleveland, OH: Cleveland Museum of Art. Milan: 5 Continents Editions, 2013, 44, 112. Reproduced: p. 44; mentioned: p. 112, cat. 8
  • Fragments of the Invisible: The René and Odette Delenne Collection of Congo Sculpture. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (October 27, 2013-February 9, 2014).
  • {{cite web|title=Female Figurine|url=false|author=|year=late 1800s–early 1900s|access-date=18 June 2026|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/2010.449