During my visit to the Brooklyn Museum on the first floor, I have selected an African sculpture of a Mother and Child Figure (Pemba). It was accomplished in the Democratic Republic of the Congo by Unknown/Yombe People from Africa. It was actually done mid-to-late 1800s. The accession number assigned to this portrait is 22.1138. It is a small wooden statue that stands about 10 inches tall, consisting beads, mirror, metal, and resin. The mother is seated cross-legged on a block of wood with a child. Comparing the other artwork I have observed in Brooklyn Museum were a bit complex to comprehend but, the carving of this figure on a wooden block has made with simplified human forms. The surface of the figure was rubbed with a moisture of oil and…show more content… There are many interpretations could be made about this sculpture. Looking at the base of this figure we are able to see that the mother is sited on a block the sculptor could have just simply make this figure sit down without placing any wooden block underneath. But by making the mother figure sitting down on a block has given this mother figure a different meaning. The depiction of the block identifies the importance and high social status that a mother embraces in Yombe tribe. Now carefully examining the way the sculptor curved the mother’s legs in an intersecting pattern to hold the baby on her lap brings up nature which is rooted in reality of how a mother holds a baby during the time when she needs to feed a baby in a comfortable way. The way the mother holds the infant’s head while she is feeding shows her caring and love towards the baby. In addition, we also could see the pointed breast in the infant’s mouth. Most importantly, this signifies that the breast is projecting feature that promotes the health and the well-being of the mother and a child. The breast and the chest were emphasized with carving or markings to make them an important focal point of the
