31 - Important Phemba Kongo Yombe mother-and-child figure.

Important Phemba Kongo Yombe mother-and-child figure. DR Congo, Mayombe. Dense wood with a deep reddish-brown patina; metal elements. A remarkable mother-and-child figure depicting a seated woman holding her child, with a powerful face featuring an open mouth and visible teeth. The exceptional richness of the geometric scarifications, covering the shoulders and the entire back, as well as the ringed neck and the quality of the carving, evoke the great ancient works of the Mayombe region and show interesting affinities with the Phemba corpus by various renowned sculptors. Late 19th–early 20th century. Height: 36 cm