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This striking and powerfully-carved figure
represents an ancestor, and was made by the
artist-craftsmen of the Nyamwezi group. This
population, from Central- to North-West
Tanzania, number about 500,000 and are largely
agrarian farmers with cultural links to the
Sukuma, the Sumbwa, the Kimbu, the Konongo
and the Kerebe/Kerewe. Their name is of Swahili
origin, and literally means “Men of the West” (or
“Men of the Moon”), a moniker they earned in
the 19th century from the caravans that used to
pass through their territory; they used to call
themselves the Wanyamwezi. Their society is
highly variable owing to the large area in which
they live, but the main themes are consistent:
small chiefdoms presided over by paramount
chiefs responsible for material wealth, assisted
by a sorcerer who takes care of the populace’s
spiritual health. Status is inherited, or gained by
being a good tracker – especially of elephants.
While they are an aesthetically-inclined people,
they do not usually have specifically-appointed
artists; such occupations were viewed as
additional skills, rather than as socially-valid
vocations. However, skilled carvers may well be
pressed into providing secular items – notably
anthropomorphic thrones and stools – as well as
paraphernalia for water divining (elongated
stick-figures) traditional religious practices.
While they have a detailed pantheon of deities
and spirits (including Likube [High God], Limi
[the Sun] and Liwelolo [the Universe]) ancestor
worship is a more common affair. This takes the
form of offerings of animals to one’s
predecessors, having first invoked the help of
Likube. Witchcraft and possession cults also
exist, but are more secretive affairs.
The canons of Nyamwezi art are varied but follow
certain tendencies. Most figures are
comparatively tall, and made from heavy dark
wood that gains a polished appearance from
libations or continued handling. They are almost
invariably standing, with long torsos,
disproportionately short (flexed) legs and
slender/nugatory arms. Heads are usually
rounded, contrasting with an often angular body.
The eyes are usually inlaid with beads, and some
figures also have hair and inlaid teeth (a
characteristic of Sukuma sculptures and masks).
Their sometimes simplistic construction is offset
by an ebullience and dynamism that makes the
Nyamwezi one of East Africa’s most notable
sculpting groups.
The current piece displays a host of familiar and
innovative characteristics. It depicts a standing
male figure with flexed legs. The proportions are
conventionally Nyamwezi, with a long body,
comparatively short legs, delicate arms and a
disproportionately large rounded/square head.
The upper torso has received unusual treatment,
comprising a large, angular block to represent
the chest and shoulder complex, thus dwarfing
the arms that are wrapped around the chest and
down to the navel area. The stomach area is the
most protuberant, dropping away to a pinched
waist that swells over the hips and the schematic
genitalia. The legs are slightly splayed, bent at
the knee, and end in large, well-modelled feet.
The face is dominated by a long, slender,
triangular nose springing from strong brows
over rounded eyes with slit pupils. The mouth is
simplified and thin, with a strong chin. Most
unusually, the head is surmounted by a large,
thick anteroposterior crest that has been
truncated posteriorly. Also unusual is the lack of
inlaid beads or teeth on the face, although this
does provide a solemn and austere expression.
The ears are triangular with the apex towards the
rear, and the whole head is supported by an
inverted conical neck. Surface texture is
patinated and irregular, implying extensive
handling, use, and considerable age. The legs
and the underside of the posterior are highly
polished through handling, while the upper
reaches of the torso are less handled and with
tool marks still clearly visible. The abdomen and
the head seem to have attracted libations, while
the headcrest is polished superiorly. The arms
and the back of the head were damaged or
remodelled shortly after the piece was made, for
while they are rough, the exposed inner wood
had developed some patina. This is a well-
conceived, well-executed and well-used figure,
and an outstanding addition to any serious
collection of African art.
- (LSO.235)
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