Maternity figure

Goemai artist

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 343

This maternity figure once served as an instrument in the diagnosis and treatment of illness by the Kwompten healing society. Its formal balancing of shelflike hips, squared shoulders, and arms bent away from a columnar torso reflects the carver’s awareness of devotional sculptures created by neighboring Jukun and Mumuye artists. The softer naturalism and fine surface incisions of the mother’s face suggest the influence of Lower Benue and Yoruba sculptural traditions from farther south.

Maternity figure, Goemai artist, Wood, Ankwe peoples

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Side view showing the face of the baby

Maternity figure, Goemai artist, Wood, Ankwe peoples
Maternity figure, Goemai artist, Wood, Ankwe peoples
Maternity figure, Goemai artist, Wood, Ankwe peoples
Maternity figure, Goemai artist, Wood, Ankwe peoples

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