On loan to The Met The Met accepts temporary loans of art both for short-term exhibitions and for long-term display in its galleries.
Figure: Seated Female Nursing Child
Master of the Boma-Vonde Region
Not on view
The female figures attributed to the Master of Boma-Vonde constitute denser, rounded bodily presences. The woman’s head is proportionally dominant, and her voluptuous body envelops that of the infant. While there is no documentation of the original purpose of this work, many such Kongo maternities were likely used in the practice of ritual specialists devoted to women’s concerns ranging from infertility to midwifery.
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