MBÉDÉ
MBÉDÉ
Mbdédé (or Ambété) ritual fertility statue (N’tap).
From Kellé (near Okondja, Gabon). 20th century.Height: 96 cm.An IR spectroscopy dating certificate (G. Matthaes patent) from the Museo d’Arte e Scienza, Milan, no. 3AD-2807, indicates the date as 1933 ± 6 years.Hardwood covered with kaolin. A receptacle on the back was used to collect the ashes of ancestors or medicinal remedies.The emphasis placed on the belly, which gently tapers upwards to form a chest crowned by two small breasts, the delicate rendering of the head and traditional hairstyle, the slender arms, and the delicacy of the hands resting on the upper part of the abdomen, all lend this statuette a very specialelegance. The distinctive treatment of the legs, with their incredibly slender, concave curves, points to a reality other than that of our world: it serves to remind us that this statuette is not a depiction of motherhood in our world, but represents the spirit of fertility in the afterlife. This spiritual symbolism is combined with the elegant power of the short legs, made solid by their mass and elegant by their form. The mass of the legs in the lower part of the statuette echoes that of the neck in the upper part, which offers a striking contrast to the delicate rendering of the arms, torso and head.The design of the headdress, with its horizontal ridges, creates a break in the lines compared with the vertical legs and the statuette’s overall very slender appearance.
MBÉDÉ
Mbdédé (or Ambété) ritual fertility statue (N’tap).
From Kellé (near Okondja, Gabon). 20th century.Height: 96 cm.An IR spectroscopy dating certificate (G. Matthaes patent) from the Museo d’Arte e Scienza, Milan, no. 3AD-2807, indicates the date as 1933 ± 6 years.Hardwood covered with kaolin. A receptacle on the back was used to collect the ashes of ancestors or medicinal remedies.The emphasis placed on the belly, which gently tapers upwards to form a chest crowned by two small breasts, the delicate rendering of the head and traditional hairstyle, the slender arms, and the delicacy of the hands resting on the upper part of the abdomen, all lend this statuette a very specialelegance. The distinctive treatment of the legs, with their incredibly slender, concave curves, points to a reality other than that of our world: it serves to remind us that this statuette is not a depiction of motherhood in our world, but represents the spirit of fertility in the afterlife. This spiritual symbolism is combined with the elegant power of the short legs, made solid by their mass and elegant by their form. The mass of the legs in the lower part of the statuette echoes that of the neck in the upper part, which offers a striking contrast to the delicate rendering of the arms, torso and head.The design of the headdress, with its horizontal ridges, creates a break in the lines compared with the vertical legs and the statuette’s overall very slender appearance.
