Amulet, Figure with Two Masks, and Amulet, Two Figures Embracing, WaRegga 1935

Curator: Before us is a photograph by Walker Evans dating to 1935, showcasing a set of WaRegga ritual objects: "Amulet, Figure with Two Masks, and Amulet, Two Figures Embracing." They appear to be made of wood. What's your initial read? Editor: Stark and intriguing. They give me a sense of restrained power—as though imbued with latent spiritual force. Curator: Precisely. Let's delve into the composition. Evans's choice to present these objects head-on encourages a direct confrontation. Notice the bilateral symmetry employed, typical of such figuration; and observe also how each amulet's shape relates to the function ascribed to the wearer of such figures. Editor: I'm immediately struck by the scale, or rather the potential lack thereof. Given that these are referred to as "amulets", the wood material choice is interesting in terms of its availability versus durability. What do we know about how these would have been crafted and by whom? What was the process from sourcing to carving to application? Curator: Contextually, the WaRegga people of the Democratic Republic of Congo are known for their complex initiation rites during which such objects—the embodiment of ancestral spirits and moral codes—play a central role. The incised dot patterns all over suggest a standardized artistic lexicon but may hold particular allegorical significance. Editor: Right, thinking about the making, what tools would have been used to create the fine circular incisions covering these pieces? There's a palpable relationship between the craftsman, the available materials, and the spiritual use, blurring lines between production, craft and sacred work. Curator: Certainly. It's a fascinating dance between material constraint, cultural function, and aesthetic representation. Evans captures something deeply integral about this artistic vision in monochrome format, abstracting cultural relevance, and instead accentuating its design through its physical properties. Editor: By examining them through this lens of creation and intended functionality, it opens up possibilities of interpretation beyond the purely representational. A reminder of the human ingenuity interwoven in spiritual and communal belief. Curator: Indeed. I feel we are just scratching the surface of unlocking those embedded narratives held inside objects such as these.