Seated Mother and Child (Primary Title)

Unknown (Artist)

Educational
late 19th–early 20th century
Anyi
Wood
Africa,Côte d'Ivoire
Overall: 18 3/4 × 4 5/8 × 7 1/4 in. (47.63 × 11.75 × 18.42 cm)
2000.3

1-This beautifully detailed carving depicts a mother tenderly cradling her child on her lap. Though her arms and hands support the child with gentle care, her erect posture and impassive face register the remote self-awareness of nobility. She sits on a miniature throne, confirming her royal status. Typical of thrones of the Akan culture, of which the Baule people are a major subgroup, the seat of this throne is supported by five pillars and has upwardly curving edges. A full-size Akan stool is on display behind this figure.

2- This beautiful Baule sculpture of a seated mother and child is positioned at DAWN in the life-cycle plan of the gallery.

According to the Kongo cosmogram, this stage of life, known as KALA, refers to rising: the beginning of a person’s life in the community.

Arthur and Margaret Glasgow Fund
"Resonances," Tribal Art Centre Basel, Basel, Switzerland, January - June 1984
Image released via Creative Commons CC-BY-NC

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