Statue

Statue from the Hemba people of the Congo. “While the beard framing the face and the genitalia clearly identify the figure as male, the emphasis falls on the prominent abdomen (a symbol of fertility and the bond between generations), highlighted not only by its volume but also by the hands encircling it and the scarification marks decorating it. The curve of the hips, the short lower limbs, and the open spaces between the arms and the torso, which create a characteristic hourglass shape, further emphasize the centrality of the abdomen, shifting the figure's center of gravity downward. Although the overall impression is one of strong compositional integration, resulting from the bilateral symmetry of the figure and the composed, seemingly contemplative expression of the face, the sculpture also derives its vitality from skillfully resolved contrasts. Whereas the lower section is dominated by curving forms and rounded volumes, the upper section is defined by straight lines and sharp angles outlining the shoulders, creating the triangular plane upon which the powerful cylindrical mass of the neck rests” (quoted from E. Bassani [ed.], Arte dell'Africa Nera, Florence–Milan, Skira, 2000). The work is part of the Bassani Collection (inv. AFR 00073 2513A).

Photo: Paolo Vandrasch, Milano; Giuliano Spagnul, Milano; Vivi Papi, Varese.

Courtesy MUDEC.