Maternity

Dan · Liberia

Reference: MTR-54

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Height
140 cm
Material
Wood and pigments.

The figure of motherhood is one of the oldest and most representative in Africa, although it is represented by Dan is quite late, mid-century XXShe is…

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Full original description

The figure of motherhood is one of the oldest and most representative in Africa, although it is represented by Dan is quite late, mid-century XXShe is depicted in this statue with her son sitting on her mother's right knee while she holds her head with her hand. They do not usually represent a particular woman, but a woman who dispenses life and food, since their primary function is to give life and preserve it.

Women are a symbol of social life as they are the essential link in the lineage, the backbone of the family and often an essential element in the transmission of inheritance and, always, the protective element of children. Breast milk is not only a food of life, it is the sap that carries out the transmission of fundamental human values. In many cultures, women are the depository of tradition and the safeguarding of genealogies. He is often, divine, healer and connoisseur of the mysteries of nature clothed with great magical powers. The African woman, and especially the mother, is far from the image of her in the West.

The child occupies a very secondary place in terms of size and aesthetic quality, since in all African maternity homes the aim is to enhance the figure of the mother.

The rounded breasts of atypical women in African art are curious. The earlobes are pierced.

Eyes and teeth painted white. With open mouth and extended left hand seems to be requesting a gift. Time skate.

Further technical information
Width
50 cm
Attributed period
First third of the century XX or older

Details transcribed from the original catalogue; they are not a recent physical inspection.

Country on the map

Liberia. The country associated with the catalog is shown, not the current location of the piece.

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Attributions, dates and accounts come from the preserved catalogue. They do not constitute certification of authenticity or provenance. An object’s presence on this website does not mean it is available for sale.

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