H x W x D: 45.2 x 10.8 x 11.2 cm (17 13/16 x 4 1/4 x 4 7/16 in.)
Type:
Figure
Geography:
Yelwa village, Nigeria
Date:
ca. 1948
Label Text:
Among the Goemai, male and female figure carvings are associated with the Kwompten men's society. Food and sexual taboos must be observed before handling figures. Each figure is used by its owner to divine the cause of illness in order to determine proper treatment. After a successful cure, the patient gives a goat and millet for a sacrifice and a celebration by the society.
Description:
Wood standing female figure with a crest hairstyle, arms with paddle hands extending out in front of the body and legs that curve, giving the body a slightly arching appearance. The proper right foot is broken off. Plant fiber forms the handle, and is wrapped around the neck and waist.
Provenance:
Roy and Sophia Sieber, Bloomington, Indiana, acquired Yelwa village, Nigeria, 1958 to 1993
Exhibition History:
The African Image: A New Selection of Tribal Art, The Toledo Museum of Art, February 1-22, 1956, no. 156
Published References:
Kreamer, Christine Mullen. 2003. " A Tribute to Roy Sieber: Part 1." African Arts 36 (1), p. 13, no. 2.
Plass, Margaret. 1959. The African Image: A New Selection of Tribal Art. Toledo: The Toledo Museum of Art, no. 103.
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