Half-Figure
Unknown Artist
late 1800s–early 1900s
Medium
Wood and iron
Dimensions
{"overall":{"height":0.2,"width":0.068,"depth":0.085}}
Classification
Sculpture
Department
African Art
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
René and Odette Delenne Collection, Leonard C. Hanna Jr. Fund
Accession Number
2010.457
About this artwork
Iron tacks inserted into the lobes of the hairdo indicate that this sculpture was originally empowered with magical and medicinal substances. Thus charged, the figure would have been used in divination and was related to a powerful association known as Bugabo. Members specialized in healing, hunting, and fighting crime.