Wood: Antique African Statue/Totem of a Woman

Wood: Antique African Statue/Totem of a Woman

Wood: Antique African Statue/Totem of a Woman (front)

Wood: Antique African Statue/Totem of a Woman

Wood: Antique African Statue/Totem of a Woman (back)

Wood: Antique African Statue/Totem of a Woman (side)

Wood: Antique African Statue/Totem of a Woman (side)

Wood: Antique African Statue/Totem of a Woman (top)

Wood: Antique African Statue/Totem of a Woman (base)

Wood: Antique African Statue/Totem of a Woman (detail, closeup)

Wood: Antique African Statue/Totem of a Woman (face)

Wood: Antique African Statue/Totem of a Woman (profile)

Wood: Antique African Statue/Totem of a Woman

Wood: Antique African Statue/Totem of a Woman

Wood: Antique African Statue/Totem of a Woman

Wood: Antique African Statue/Totem of a Woman

Wood: Antique African Statue/Totem of a Woman

Possibly from the Early 20th Century

Very Colorful

Google Lens:

-- Hand carved from wood and painted

-- Depicts a seated figure, in a position that Google Lens refers to as the “stinking position” [Note: this feels and sounds like a pejorative -- I could not find anything online actually defining this odd term for a seated position -- so let’s just say that the female figure is “squatting.”]

-- May be an African historical piece [but it could also be a tourist piece because Google Lens can be wildly inaccurate]

-- Astounding detail and quality [somewhat true]

-- Not heavy for its size (light wood)

-- In general, exaggerated facial and bodily features in genuine African carvings and art are not considered to be negative commentary on African Culture. According to AI:

“In African carvings, exaggerated features often include enlarged heads, large hands and feet, prominent facial features like wide mouths or large eyes, and exaggerated body curves, which are used to symbolically represent spiritual power, ancestral presence, important social roles, or other significant concepts within the culture creating the artwork; essentially, the distortion of features is not meant to be realistic but to convey deeper meaning.”

 

3 pounds/ 6.15 ounces

1534.5 grams

17 inches tall

 

Roller Mills

Lewisburg, Pennsylvania

 

Circa 2019

Wood: Antique African Statue/Totem of a Woman