Shankadi Sculpture of a Woman Holding a Bowl - PF.5290
Origin: Southeastern Congo
Circa: 20 th Century AD
Dimensions: 8.5" (21.6cm) high x 4" (10.2cm) wide
Collection: African
Style: Shankadi
Medium: Wood

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Holding a bowl (Mboko) with both hands the woman is seen in a position of reverence. She is naked and her breasts are very prominent. The lovely coiffure is composed of two segments on the sides of the head done in a grid pattern, along with a striated element cascading down the center to the nape of the neck. Such hair arrangements are distinctive of the Shankadi region. The feet are particularly charming in the way they meet in a horizontal plain; with a similar balance achieved in the V-shape effect of the hands. Her face is a study in composure, dignity and inner presence enhanced by the rich brown patina. This figure would have been part of a king's or chief's investiture ceremony, and afterwards served as an insignia of the ruler's authority. - (PF.5290)