Cleveland Museum of Art

Figure of a Pair

Date

late 1800s–early 1900s

Medium

Wood and iron

Culture

Africa, Central Africa, Democratic Republic of the Congo or Central African Republic (most likely), possibly Monzombo-style maker

Department

African Art

Institution

Cleveland Museum of Art

The Ubangi region's history of successive migrations and assimilations has resulted in numerous exchanges of religious beliefs and ritual practices. Despite some stylistic traits, including the heart-shaped faces and the male's crested coiffure, this figure with its female pair is unlike any other in the Ubangian corpus. Based on indirect evidence, the pair is said to represent the culture's primordial couple. This pair is of a male and female and is said to represent the culture's primordial couple. There are no other carved mother-child figures that originate from the Monzombo ethnic group.

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