Female Figure

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Culture Ngbaka

Title Female Figure

Date Unknown

Medium Wood and metal

Dimensions Object: 18 11/16 × 4 9/16 × 5 7/16 in. (47.5 × 11.6 × 13.8 cm)
Overall: 18 11/16 × 4 9/16 × 5 7/16 in. (47.5 × 11.6 × 13.8 cm)

Credit Line Eskenazi Museum of Art, Indiana University

Accession Number 71.90

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About this Work

The Ngbaka (also known as the Bwaka) traditionally made offerings to figures to cure illnesses and to protect family members from misfortunes such as bad harvests and sickness. Both male and female figures were used: the male figures are said to represent the Ngbaka creator, Setu, while female figures such as this one represent Nabo, his sister/wife. The simplified forms of Ngbaka figures characteristically have round heads with a heart-shaped outline around the face and a vertical forehead ridge, a long torso, and short, stocky legs—all features evident in this figure.

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Provenance research is ongoing for this and many other items in the Eskenazi Museum of Art permanent collection. For more information about the provenance of this artwork, please contact the department curator with specific questions.

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"Female Figure | Collections Online." Collections Online. Sidney and Lois Eskenazi Museum of Art, Indiana University, 2025. https://artmuseum.indiana.edu/collections-online/browse/object.php?number=71.90