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Figure: Seated Female Supporting Figure with Clasped Hands

19th century, inventoried 1898
Not on view
Returned to lender
This work of art was on loan to the museum and has since been returned to its lender.
The figurative and abstract dimensions of Kongo visual expression are masterfully bridged in this single work. The focus of the front is the enigmatic dynamic between the poised and commanding female figure and the supine miniature adult male, with clasped hands and serene expression, in her care. In contrast, the female’s back is purely concerned with the dazzling geometric graphic patterns evident in the earliest Kongo textiles and ivories.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Figure: Seated Female Supporting Figure with Clasped Hands
  • Artist: Master of Kasadi
  • Date: 19th century, inventoried 1898
  • Geography: Democratic Republic of the Congo; Republic of the Congo; Cabinda, Angola
  • Culture: Kongo peoples, Yombe group
  • Medium: Wood, metal, glass, kaolin, pigment
  • Dimensions: H. 10 7/8 in. ( 27.5 cm), W. 4 1/2 in. (11.4 cm), D. 4 5/8 in. (11.7cm)
  • Classification: Wood-Sculpture
  • Credit Line: Ross Art Management, LLC, New York
  • Curatorial Department: The Michael C. Rockefeller Wing