Female Figure with Bowl
Abogunde of Ede
1875–1899
- Medium
- Wood, beads, and traces of pigment
- Dimensions
- 66.1 × 20.4 × 26.1 cm (26 × 8 × 10 1/4 in.)
- Genre
- sculpture
- Museum
- Art Institute of Chicago
Styles
Tags
beadsshrinemothersyorubastring (fiber product)shrinespainting (coating)sculpturemother and childwood (plant material)african Artarts of AfricaCoastal West Africacarvingritual objectschildrenofferingpigmentbeadworkcontainers
About
This figure was made for a shrine dedicated to one of the Yoruba orisa (deities)—possibly Shango, who is associated with the power of thunderstorms, warriors, and kings. The woman’s expression of concentration, her crisp features and incised details, and the energetic pose of the child are characteristic of the acclaimed sculptor Abogunde of Ede. The figure is at once an offering, a container for offerings, and the representation of a devotee presenting an offering.