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Figure (Mbulu Ngulu)

A work made of wood, brass, copper, and iron.

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  • A work made of wood, brass, copper, and iron.

Date:

Late 19th-early 20th century

Artist:

Kota: Mindumu or Obamba
Gabon
Central Africa

About this artwork

Figures related to ongoing communion with the ancestors were once widespread among the various Kota peoples. Reducing the human form to flattened planes, artists accentuated these sculptures with sheets and strips of brass and copper. The metal connoted prosperity while its reflective quality was understood to frighten away evil. The figures’ abstraction inspired the Cubists and other modern European artists in the early 20th century to explore forms of repre-sentation that are not rooted in visual reality.

Status

On View, Gallery 137

Department

Arts of Africa

Culture

Kota

Title

Figure (Mbulu Ngulu)

Place

Gabon (Object made in)

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

1875–1925

Medium

Wood, brass, copper, and iron

Dimensions

H.: 54.6 cm (21 1/2 in.)

Credit Line

The Art Institute of Chicago, Charles H. and Mary F. Worcester Collection Fund

Reference Number

2007.212

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

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