Female statuette "mu po" · Cameroon Grassfields, Bamoon · ID: 3041840
sold
EUR 1,200
Provenance
Maurice W. Shapiro, New York, USAChristie’s, New York, 11 November 1993, lot 103
Wolfgang Nerlich, Munich, Germany
Zemanek-Münster, Würzburg, 9 March 2013, lot 116
Size
H: 15 cm
H: 5.9 inch
Description
wood, dark brown patina, one hand up to the chin, accentuated navel, slightly dam. (right hand, nape), missing parts (right foot, backside), block-like base;
“mu po” are connected with fertility. It is supposed that the statuette depicts a pregnant woman with her hand under her chin. This symbol of maternity occurs frequently in the arts of the Grassfields, relating to the fertility of the group and of the chiefdom.