Mfunga (fly whisk) with bound female figure
When brandished with a sweeping motion, a fly whisk’s tuft can ceremonially purify the space surrounding its bearer and anoint others through the sprinkling of liquid libations. Kongo titleholders sometimes inherited such instruments from their predecessors as commemorative heirlooms. During the nineteenth century, bound female captives were frequently depicted on fly-whisk handles and staff finials as emblems of subjugation to chiefly authority. In this unusual example, the figure’s hands and feet are depicted as hooves.
Artwork Details
- Title: Mfunga (fly whisk) with bound female figure
- Artist: Yombe-Kongo artist
- Artist: Kongo artist
- Date: 19th–early 20th century
- Geography: Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, or Angola
- Culture: Kongo, Yombe subgroup
- Medium: African elephant ivory (Loxodonta africana), wood, lead-tin alloy, animal hair (modern restoration)
- Dimensions: Without Hair: H. 9 1/2 x W. 1 1/16 x D. 1 1/4 in (24.1 x 2.7 x 3.2 cm)
With Hair: H. 13 3/4 x W. 1 1/16 x D. 7 3/4 in (34.9 x 2.7 x 19.7 cm) - Classifications: Ivory/Bone-Sculpture, Ivories-Elephant
- Credit Line: Gift of Marian Malcolm, in loving memory of her husband, Daniel Malcolm, 2023
- Object Number: 2023.607
- Curatorial Department: The Michael C. Rockefeller Wing
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