Item: Yombe Phembe Maternity StatueSpecifications: 38.5 x 11.5 x 10.5 cm Origin: Both Congo Republics & Angola (see cultural and contextual notes below) Medium: Timber Carving & pigment.

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African Origins ship dozens of international orders every week to every corner of the globe. We generally use Australia Post, a reliable, economic and fast service which also features online tracking. For multiple orders weighing over five kilograms we ship or via International Air Courier which also features online tracking. Please feel free to contact us directly with your country and zip code if you have any questions or special requirements regarding shipping or wish to obtain a quote for shipping to your area. We are happy to calculate combined postage quotes for multiple items.

 

 

Returns

African Origins sells hand-made tribal objects which have been used, in some cases, for many, many years. We ask that you carefully study the photographs relating to each object prior to committing to purchase. In the event that you are unhappy with your purchase for any reason, we accept returns within thirty days of purchase date.

 

 

 

About African Origins

 

African Origins has been trading online since 2007. We are constantly on the look-out for interesting objects to add to our collection. Our tribal collection is sourced from tribal dealers, auction houses private collections the world over and also collected in the field. Where possible, we will specify the provenance of important individual tribal objects.

 

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Please note that unless specified otherwise, no item from the African Origins shop comes together with a display stand. This includes objects that have a display stand visible in the images that accompany the listing.



 
Due to the thick forests surrounding Yombe territory the land must be cleared through slash and burn techniques before crops can be planted. The land is usually cleared by men, leaving the task of farming to the women. Plantains, manioc, maize, beans, peanuts, and yams are among the primary crops grown. These are primarily used for local consumption, but surplus is also sold in regional markets to obtain cash. Goats, pigs, chickens, and dogs are also raised. Fishing on the Congo (Zaire) river and its surrounding tributaries provides an important source of dietary protein. Men are also responsible for hunting, weaving, carving, smithing, and smelting. Women create clay pots for domestic use. 
 
The forested region of the Lower Zaire River is important in the artistic history of black Africa, because it boasts the greatest concentration of maternity figures and stone statuary. The focal point is the vast Yombe area where numerous individual styles may be found. The Kongo kingdom influenced the Yombe who, at one point of their history, were an integral part of this kingdom. 
 
The 350,000 Yombe people are artistically prolific. They produced some of the finest sculpture in all Africa. Their statues contained the same themes as the Kongo's: maternity figures, seated kings, objects of prestige, and nail and mirror fetishes. The Yombe female phemba statues are used in divinatory practices or associated with fertility rites. Phemba figures represent women in seated, cross-legged, or kneeling poses with pointed or round coiffures, necklaces of glass or coral beads, a cord tied around the breasts, jewelry, and filed teeth. Women are an important Yombe symbol since they are considered to be not only a nurturing force, but also seers and guardians of the spirit. 
 
The maternity figures are carved of wood in a realistic style, rare in Africa. Mirror and nail fetishes have an aggressive expression characterized by an open mouth usually showing filed teeth. The rare realistic masks were worn during important communal ceremonies. The art of the royal court is manifested in objects of luxury such as commanders’ staffs, flyswats, scepters, swords, and musical instruments such as drums, trumpets and whistles. The mvuala scepter are ordinarily surmounted by refined female figures; sometimes they contain relics