Maternity

The maternity figure is one of the oldest and most representative forms in Africa. The woman is depicted with one or two children whom she is breastfeeding or has just breastfed. At other times she carries her daughter on her back. Such figures do not usually represent a particular woman, but woman as the giver of life and nourishment, whose main role is to give life and preserve it.

Woman is a symbol of social life: the essential link in the lineage, the backbone of the family, often essential to the transmission of inheritance, and always a protector of children. Breast milk is not merely life-giving nourishment; it is the sap through which fundamental human values are transmitted. In many cultures, woman is the custodian of tradition and the guardian of genealogies. She is often a diviner, healer and knower of nature’s mysteries, endowed with great magical powers. The African woman, especially the mother, is very different from the image of her held in the West.

A beautiful image of a mother breastfeeding her child, with upright, generous breasts. A finely carved statue. The mother stands on a stool, carrying a container on her head. Two long side braids adorn the artistic hairstyle, together with a short central braid at the back of the head. Numerous scarifications on the face and along the body. Short, strong legs following Baule aesthetic canons. A cord encircles the waist as a pubic covering. The whole piece conveys great harmony. Dark patina.