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Seated Female Figure

17th–18th century

Not on view

Broad-hipped, narrow-shouldered, and topped with an oversized head, this seated female figure contrasts strongly with the more serene female representations exhibited nearby. This sculpture and those of Chiefs Appia (on the outside platform) and Mabana (at right) share an expression of both contained force and exuberant power, embodied in their muscular physiques. The whorls on their especially rough surfaces of exposed wood suggest a wild quality.

Seated Female Figure, Wood, Mbembe peoples — Due to rights restrictions, this image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

Seated Female Figure, Wood, Mbembe peoples

Seated Female Figure, Wood, Mbembe peoples

This artwork is meant to be viewed from right to left. Scroll left to view more.

Due to rights restrictions, this image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

Due to rights restrictions, this image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

Title: Seated Female Figure

Date: 17th–18th century

Geography: Nigeria, Ewayon River region, Cross River Province

Culture: Mbembe peoples

Medium: Wood

Dimensions: H. x W. x D.: 27 9/16 × 18 1/8 × 14 3/16 in. (70 × 46 × 36 cm)

Classification: Wood-Sculpture

Credit Line: Private Collection

Accession Number: SL.20.2014.13.1

The Met

The Michael C. Rockefeller Wing at The Met

The Met's collection of art of the peoples of sub-Saharan Africa, the Pacific Islands, and North, Central, and South America comprises more than eleven thousand works of art of varied materials and types, representing diverse cultural traditions from as early as 3000 B.C.E. to the present.