Tribal Art

Featuring an asexual being, this sculpture presents a standing figure, with a straight back, hands resting on a voluminous abdomen. The globular head is highlighted by thin asymmetrical ears, while the arches are cut straight, housing pupils in which the beads are absent. The narrow chin forms a small protrusion dominating a fleshy neck. The uns polished surface shows the sculptor's herminette strokes. Oiled dark patina.
This statue comes from the northeastern region of Tanzania, bordering Kenya, opposite the Indian Ocean, where the Paré, Shamba, Zigua, and Mbugu tribes live. A relative homogeneity characterizes the productions of these groups, recalling some of the Malagasy and Bataks with whom, through maritime trade, contact could once have been established. This piece was probably used for a didactic purpose during male initiations. It could also embody an ancestor or a spirit.