The Madonna holding the cross of Jesus, has been carved from a heavy dense wood which has developed a wonderful deep glossy patina in the areas where it has been touched and handled. Its sculptural style and expression is unusual but still holds some typical Makonde characteristics.
Black Madonna figures, such as this example, would have been kept in family dwellings and sometimes village shrines in the border region of Tanzania and Mozambique, serving both as a religious symbol and offering a protective force.
Ex Private Collection, France
Estimated Period: 1st Half 20th Century. Likely 1st Quarter
Height: 32 cm
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