This is the rating and price for 20Th C. Mende Wood Carved Female Figure

Description : West Africa, Liberia or Sierra Leone, Mende people, ca. mid 20th century CE. A hand-carved wooden sculpture of a woman, depicted standing on foreshortened legs carved as part of an integrated platform. She has an elongated torso, and holds her breasts. Her face is oval, with a very long forehead capped by a heart-shaped coiffure. She has been carved to wear a short skirt that emphasizes her narrow waist and broad hips. She may be pregnant. Mende sculptures are modeled on the style of real women in the culture, particularly the hair, whose elaborate stylings are a crucial part of how women express themselves and, because they require assistance from other women to style, a way to build female friendship and solidarity. Statues of women in Mende society have multiple uses, and they may be used in initiation ceremonies, as protective figures, or in the act of healing. They are made to be placed on a small altar, and sometimes will be sheltered from view. Size: 6.85 W x 22.5 H (17.4 cm x 57.2 cm), 22.75 H (57.8 cm) on included custom stand. See a similar Mende female figure sold at Sotheby's in 2014: Provenance: private New York, New York, USA collection All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back. A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids. We ship worldwide and handle all shipping in-house for your convenience. #132013
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