Ancestor Figure
Mende, Sierre Leone
Early 20th Century
Previous Collection: Private Connecticut Collection acquired 1960s

This is a good example of a Mende figure with classic blackened surface. What is especially nice about this figure is that the body is quite naturalistic yet the elongated ringed neck and ornate coiffure in addition to an expressive face make for a pleasant mixture of features when so many Mende's are either simply naturalistic or stylized; this is a bit of both. There are areas of exposed wood showing good oxidation speaking to its age. The profile view is where this statue truly shines; it shows off all of the sweeps and cuts of the sculptures form. This is a good old example.

This figure stands 20 inches tall.
IN 10-7-12/ SOLD