Male Figure (Ofika)
Unknown Artist
late 1800s or early 1900s
Medium
Wood, colorant, and upholstery studs
Dimensions
{"No Extent Specified":{"height":0.422}}
Classification
Sculpture
Department
African Art
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund
Accession Number
2016.33
About this artwork
Figures such as this, known as ofika, were central to the initiation practices and the enforcement of laws among the all-male Lilwa association, a hierarchical organization that served educational, judicial, political, economic, and ritual functions among the Mbole. Meant to instill a moral code and to act as a cautionary symbol during initiation for Lilwa novices, ofika figures are believed to represent criminals who were ritually hanged for transgressions against Lilwa laws. The figure’s encru...