Caryatid stool c. 1910

wood

3d sculpting

icon design

sculpture

sculptural image

unrealistic statue

portrait head and shoulder

sculpting

mid-section and head portrait

wood

statue

moulded

The "Caryatid stool" is a striking example of traditional African art. Created around 1910, the stool features a female figure carved from wood, kneeling and supporting a circular platform with her arms. The figure's stylized features and powerful posture evoke a sense of strength and dignity. This stool, now in the collection of the Minneapolis Institute of Art, exemplifies the skill and artistry of anonymous African woodcarvers, showcasing the unique cultural heritage of the region.

Comments

minneapolisinstituteofart about 1 year ago

⋮

Some hundred years ago, a Songye sculptor in what is now the Democratic Republic of Congo launched a new product that he had copied from the neighboring Luba people: stools supported by human figures. He made such caryatid stools in a Songye style, by accentuating blocky shapes, sharp angles, and abstracted facial features. The result is an innovative sculpture executed with skill and confidence. The name of the sculptor is no longer known, and he is identified as the Master of Lusambo, after a region in Songye-land. He ran a workshop of carvers, but given the excellence of this particular stool, we may assume that it was carved by the master himself.