Mfunga (fly whisk) with bound female figure

19th–early 20th century

Not on view

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

Object Information

Overview

Provenance

Title: Mfunga (fly whisk) with bound female figure
Artist: Yombe-Kongo artist
Date: 19th–early 20th century
Geography: Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, or Angola
Culture: Yombe-Kongo peoples
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

More Artwork

By Yombe-Kongo artist

In the same medium

Commemorative Mother and Child Figure, Yombe-Kongo artist, Wood, glass, metal, pigment, Yombe-Kongo peoples — Commemorative Mother and Child Figure
Yombe-Kongo artist
19th–first half of 20th century

Parpanggalahan (powder horn), Toba Batak artist, Water buffalo horn, wood, lead and tin pins, Toba Batak — Parpanggalahan (powder horn)
Toba Batak artist
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Saddle (清馬鞍一套), Iron, gold, silver, wood, coral, ivory, silk, hair, tin, pigments, leather, Chinese — Saddle (清馬鞍一套)
Chinese
17th–18th century

Nkisi (power figure), Kongo artist and nganga (ritual specialist), Wood, pigment, resin, iron, brass, tin, cloth, plant fiber cord, beads, cowrie shells, bone or ivory, arrows, leather, seeds, animal horn, Kongo peoples — Nkisi (power figure)
Kongo artist and nganga (ritual specialist)
19th–first half of 20th century

Staff finial with seated woman, "Master of the Frontal Concentric Circles", Ivory, metal, wood, lead, Yombe-Kongo peoples — Staff finial with seated woman
"Master of the Frontal Concentric Circles"
19th century

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