We are immediately struck by the fantastical
proportions of this stunning sculpture. Her
limbs have been elongated beyond exaggeration.
Her scared breast fall from her chest in two
gentle arches that appear to mimic bananas. Her
buttocks project outwards and almost cover the
entire stool. Her neck, decorated with two rows
of scars on each side, has been stretched to its
limit. She holds her hands outward, both cupped
to hold possible offerings or sacrificial libations.
It is clear from both the proportions and the
posture that this figure represents an elite queen
mother. Stools were the penultimate symbol of
rank and authority in tribal Africa. This figure
sits proudly upon her throne, elegantly carved
and painted white. Overall, the work is
encrusted with a thick patina most evident along
her hands and shoulders no doubt accumulated
from years of ritual use. However, this sculpture
has been covered over in paint. The use of
commercial paint occurs in African art only after
the arrival of European colonists. While paint is
most often associated with brightly colored
colonial works specifically created for the tourist
trade, in a few rare cases, tribal sculptures
proven to be particularly powerful were honored
by being painted over. Clearly, these are not the
bright hues that appeal to the tastes of tourists,
but dark black with blue and red highlights that
most likely had symbolic significance and
increased the powerful energy of the piece. Her
patinated hands are covered in blue while her
fingernails and toenails are painted red, imitating
the style of Western women and enhancing her
beauty. Who is this mysterious woman? She is a
fertile mother evident by her extraordinary
breasts and swelling belly. She is a royal queen
revealed by her body scarification, her intricately
braided coiffure, and her stool. All these
elements are symbols of elite status in tribal
Africa. Lastly she is a sacred priestess capable of
communicating with the spiritual world shown by
her outstretched hands, her encrusted patina
resulting from ritual use, and the honored coat
of paint that served to increase her spiritual
strength.
- (PF.5926)
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