This Makonde figure depicts a mother in a kneeling position with a baby strapped to her back. The mother, whose face is finely adorned with typical Makonde facial markings, balances a pot on her head. The surface of the figure, carved from a heavy wood, has been decorated with white and blue pigments which have faded over time.
This mother and child figure falls into the mystical unknown of many Makonde figures. It may have been an ancestral figure or used in female rite of passage ceremonies. It’s also possible that the figure was simply a work of portraiture and artistic expression by a Makonde artist.
Ex Private Collection, UK
Estimated Period: Mid-20th Century
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