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Figure: Seated Female Nursing Child

19th–early 20th century
Not on view
Returned to lender
This work of art was on loan to the museum and has since been returned to its lender.
In contrast to the female figure’s tense facial expression accented by angled brows, the relaxed body language of the chubby baby engulfed in her lap is that of insouciance. The infant trustingly rests its right hand on its mother’s forearm and focuses on feeding from her extended breast. The abstract textural designs articulated through brass tacks applied across her headdress formally echo those that project in relief carving across her upper body. The crescent pendant around her neck denotes membership in the Lemba association.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Figure: Seated Female Nursing Child
  • Date: 19th–early 20th century
  • Geography: Democratic Republic of the Congo; Republic of the Congo; Cabinda, Angola
  • Culture: Kongo peoples
  • Medium: Wood, pigments, metal
  • Dimensions: H. 14 1/4 in. (36.2 cm), W. 4 7/8 in. (12.5 cm), D. 4 in. (10 cm)
  • Classification: Wood-Sculpture
  • Credit Line: Private collection, Paris
  • Curatorial Department: The Michael C. Rockefeller Wing