Returned to lender The Met accepts temporary loans of art both for short-term exhibitions and for long-term display in its galleries.
Seated Male Figure with Rifle and Bowler Hat
Not on view
Based on their close formal resemblance in scale and the similar facial features and patterns of erosion on their surfaces, the mother-and-child figure and male figure holding a rifle displayed here may have originally been elements of a single drum. Their surface details and iconography, especially the male’s bowler hat and rifle, suggest they were made more recently than the rest of the Mbembe sculptures, possibly in the twentieth century. The degree of surviving pigment and carved detail gives a sense of all that is missing in the other works on view.
This image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.
This artwork is meant to be viewed from right to left. Scroll left to view more.
