Art Institute of Chicago
Fertility Figure
Southern Sotho
- Date
- 19th century
- Medium
- Glass beads, cloth, and fibre
- Culture
- South Africa
- Department
- Arts of Africa
- Institution
- Art Institute of Chicago
Figures like this one, made of wood, gourds, sinew, or fibers and decorated with beads, were cherished possessions for Southern Sotho women. Bridegrooms presented them to their brides to celebrate shared intentions to build a family. Women used the beaded figures to promote and honor fertility, and they would also hang them in a place of respect in the family home to be enjoyed as an object of artistry and colorful beauty.
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Linked open data
Authority identifiers that link this record into the wider web of cultural data — stable references you can follow to the source.
- Object type
- AAT300411641
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