Male figure (one of a pair) c. 1890

sculpture, wood

2d character

3d sculpting

3d model

sculpture

3d character model

sculptural image

sculpting

sculpture

3d modeling

wood

3d character modeling

3d concept

This carved wooden figure, created by the Tabwa people of the Democratic Republic of Congo around 1890, is part of a pair. The figures are characterized by their stylized features, including large, almond-shaped eyes, a prominent nose, and a flat, wide mouth. The figures are adorned with a beaded necklace made from materials like glass, wood, and bone. The figures were likely associated with fertility or ancestral veneration and represent the artist's skill in wood carving. This type of figure, known as a "nkisi" (singular) or "nkisi" (plural), was believed to possess spiritual power and was often used in ceremonies and rituals. The figures are now part of the Minneapolis Institute of Art's collection, where they continue to be appreciated for their artistry and cultural significance.

Comments

minneapolisinstituteofart about 1 year ago

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Pairs of male and female figures are important and rare objects among the Tabwa. They represent the ancestors of a particular Tabwa lineage and were kept in a special shrine by the lineage chief to honor them. This pair is distinguished by their quality of carving, their elaborate hairdos, and the pattern of scarification represented on their bodies. Scarification patterns were an important expression of religious, social and aesthetic principles of the Tabwa, as well as many other traditional tribal people of Africa. These facial scarifications emphasize the middle of the forehead between the eyes because that is where the Tabwa consider the spiritual center of a human being to reside. The central scarification line down the middle of the torso of each figure likewise represents the essential line of balance that exists in the body as well as the world in which the person lives. The equilateral triangles that make up the other decorations on the body, as well as the decoration around the base of each figure, is a pattern known as balamwezi, a Tabwa word meaning "the rising of the new moon". The period between the old and new moon is one of darkness and transition. This the Tabwa feel is a most dangerous period for making decisions in one's life and calls to mind the need for people to carefully consider their actions and how they will effect family, tribal units and the world in general.