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Half-Figure
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art. Free to download, adapt and use — no permission needed.
About this work
Iron tacks inserted into the lobes of the hairdo indicate that this sculpture was originally empowered with magical and medicinal substances. Thus charged, the figure would have been used in divination and was related to a powerful association known as Bugabo. Members specialized in healing, hunting, and fighting crime.
Cleveland Museum of Art’s own descriptionCredit lineHalf-Figure, late 1800s–early 1900s. Africa, Central Africa, Democratic Republic of the Congo, probably Kusu-style maker. Wood and iron; overall: 20 x 6.8 x 8.5 cm (7 7/8 x 2 11/16 x 3 3/8 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, René and Odette Delenne Collection, Leonard C. Hanna Jr. Fund, 2010.457
