Cleveland Museum of Art

Male Figure

Date

late 1800s-early 1900s

Medium

Wood, ceramic or Formica, copper alloy, and iron alloy

Culture

Africa, Central Africa, Republic of the Congo, Beembe-style maker

Department

African Art

Institution

Cleveland Museum of Art

This sculpture played a role in ancestral worship among the Beembe people. Ancestors are held in high regard among the Beembe, and this figure is thought to represent an idealized form of a deceased individual within the ethnic group. The object is one of only two seated male Beembe figures of this size in Western institutions. This figure is considered “monumental” as most other types of Beembe figures measure about 15 centimeters tall.

The authoritative record is held by Cleveland Museum of Art. LinkedCulture surfaces this object and its connections; it does not alter institutional metadata.