Mémoire d’Afrique — Ref. 73
Maternity statue — Toma, Guinea/Liberia — African tribal art — Ref. 73
Description
Rare and imposing seated maternity statue, attributed to the Toma people of the Guinea/Liberia border region, representing a woman nursing two children. This figure has a stylised face characteristic of Toma art: absence of a mouth, flattened ovoid form, engraved triangular eyes, rounded forehead and elaborate headdress with deep incisions. The body is adorned with numerous raised geometric scarifications, notably on the back and shoulders, attesting to high status or important ritual meaning.
This piece is carved from dense wood with a beautiful old brown patina. The left breast and left foot have been restored in a traditional manner, an old indigenous restoration visible through manual assembly traces and a subtle difference in the patina.
Typical of Toma statues associated with fertility cults or family protection, this type of representation is not common, and museum examples are rare. The sculpture measures approximately 56 cm high and weighs nearly 8.7 kg. It evokes a strong symbolic presence.
Technical details
- Type of piece
- Statue
- Category
- Statues
- Ethnic group
- Toma
- Country
- Guinée/Libéria
- Materials
- wood
- Dimensions
- H 56 × W 30 × D 30 cm
- Weight
- 8,7 kg
- Estimated dating
- second half 20th c.
- Restoration / losses
- Locally restored
- Laboratory test
- Not tested
- Reference
- 73