YOMBÉ
YOMBÉ
Yombé Phemba Maternity Hospital.
20th century.Height: 59.5 cm.An IR spectroscopy dating certificate (G. Matthaes patent) from the Museo d’Arte e Scienza, Milan, no. 6AF-3636, indicates the date as 1940 ± 8 years.A statuette carved from heavy, light-brown wood.The face, with its gaze lost in the distant horizon (a sense of distance emphasised by the hollowed-out eye sockets) and its slightly parted mouth revealing two finely carved teeth (pointed teeth were considered a beauty ideal among the Yombé – a characteristic also found among other populations of Equatorial Africa, such as the Fang of northern Gabon and the Pygmies, etc.), exudes a strong and determined air.The features are delicate, the nose straight, its wings finely carved. The breasts, visible symbols of motherhood, are clearly defined. The back is decorated with diamond-shaped reliefs, stylising the female genitalia. The neck is adorned with a necklace. The arms, forearms and lower legs are adorned with bracelets (nlunga). The figure, seated with legs crossed in a typical Yombé posture (funda nkata) symbolising authority, wears the headdress of a traditional chief (mpu).
YOMBÉ
Yombé Phemba Maternity Hospital.
20th century.Height: 59.5 cm.An IR spectroscopy dating certificate (G. Matthaes patent) from the Museo d’Arte e Scienza, Milan, no. 6AF-3636, indicates the date as 1940 ± 8 years.A statuette carved from heavy, light-brown wood.The face, with its gaze lost in the distant horizon (a sense of distance emphasised by the hollowed-out eye sockets) and its slightly parted mouth revealing two finely carved teeth (pointed teeth were considered a beauty ideal among the Yombé – a characteristic also found among other populations of Equatorial Africa, such as the Fang of northern Gabon and the Pygmies, etc.), exudes a strong and determined air.The features are delicate, the nose straight, its wings finely carved. The breasts, visible symbols of motherhood, are clearly defined. The back is decorated with diamond-shaped reliefs, stylising the female genitalia. The neck is adorned with a necklace. The arms, forearms and lower legs are adorned with bracelets (nlunga). The figure, seated with legs crossed in a typical Yombé posture (funda nkata) symbolising authority, wears the headdress of a traditional chief (mpu).
