7 - Figure with a slender body and a bulging torso

Figure with a slender body and a bulging torso Wood, original reddish-brown patina, signs of wear, a small chip, and a crack. Sukuma, Tanzania H: 59 cm This figure captivates with the elegance of its elongated proportions. The long legs, with their well-defined joints, support a full torso, which the arms—set apart from the body—frame with grace. The small face, topped by a conical headdress, crowns this silhouette of great simplicity. The Sukuma people live in northwestern Tanzania, south of Lake Victoria. Their ritual and festive life placed great importance on dance societies, founded in the 19th century by rival healers who competed against one another. Carved figures were displayed to attract and captivate the audience; others were used by the healers or during initiation rites. General bibliography: Jens Jahn (ed.), Tanzania. Meisterwerke afrikanischer Skulptur, Munich, Fred Jahn, 1994. Aimée Bessire, “At a Safe Distance: Sukuma Dance Figures and the Arousal of Spectacle,” *African Arts*, vol. 38, no. 1, 2005.