ClassificationsAfrican Art
Female Figure
Place CreatedLiberia, Africa
CultureBassa or Dan
Datelate 19th-early 20th Century
MediumWood
Credit LineEx coll. William S. Arnett
Dimensions23 5/16 x 8 7/16 x 4 1/2 x 5 1/2 in. (59.2 x 21.4 x 11.4 x 14 cm)
Object number1994.004.497
Label TextThis figure, originally thought to be Bassa, probably belongs to one of the Dan-speaking groups of northeastern Liberia and western Cote d'Ivoire. Although female figures are not as cherished and abundant as masks, those carved are usually intended as portraits of Dan women. A wealthy man might commission a portrait of his wife to display his prestige and love of fine things. A woman of importance might own a similar carving that she looks after and dresses and who sits in for her when she is absent from a public gathering. Men of the Poro society also include female figurines in altar spaces intended to house ancestral forces. The ornate plaited hairstyle, triangular scar pattern on the lower back, full breasts, and angular construction of the face incorporate Ngere stylistic elements. Whether inspired or commissioned by a woman, this female figure celebrates and exaggerates the beauty of the Dan female form.Exhibition HistoryMCCM Permanent Collection Installation, Rotation 1, December 15, 1995 - February 1997
MCCM Permanent Collection Installation, Rotation 2, February 1997 - July 1998
MCCM Permanent Collection Installation, July 19, 2003 - March 13, 2007
ProvenanceEx coll. William S. Arnett (1939-2020), Atlanta, Georgia.
Status
Not on viewCollections
- African Art
20th Century
late 19th-early 20th Century
1930s
ca. 404-343 BCE
late 1st-early 2nd Century CE
