The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of April 24, 2024

Female Figurine

Female Figurine

late 1800s–early 1900s
(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 Rene 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=24 April 2024|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

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