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African & Tribal Art :
Kongo, Yombe : Kongo Ivory Flywhisk
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Kongo Ivory Flywhisk - PF.5093
Origin: Southwestern Congo/Angola
Circa: 20
th
Century AD
Dimensions:
11" (27.9cm) high
Collection: African
Medium: Ivory and Hair
Additional Information: Dimensions Do Not Include the Hair
Location: UAE
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| Description |
Two naked female figures sit back to back,
nearly identical with hands placed comfortably
on slightly spread knees. A barrel-shaped
extension, with double incised ridges encircling
top and middle portions, is attached to the
female's heads at the base. Thick horse hair
flows from the top of the barrel like smoke from
a pipe. A tubular section is carved with a zig-zag
design, with egg shapes nestled between each
band. The end swells into a bulbous shape
before narrowing sharply to a point.
Kongo sculptors are well-known for their refined
work, particularly in elite objects, of which the
flywhisk is one of the most impressive. Those
who can afford ivory use the whisk not only for
practical purposes, but also as a sign of wealth
and social position. Seated female figures appear
on other sculptural works as symbols of sexuality
and fertility. Seeing the graceful form of this
flywhisk it is easy to understand why it is
regarded as an object of prestige.
- (PF.5093)
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