Figure

Chokwe peoples, Angola
Late 19th to early 20th century
Wood, hair, pigment
Height 38.5 cm (15 1/8 in.)
Collection of Drs. Daniel and Marian Malcolm

Provenance
Private collection, Portugal
Entwistle, London
Drs. Daniel and Marian Malcolm

Photograph by Franko Khoury

Considered a portrait of the chief's leading wife, this figure is typical of Chokwe court art in its naturalism, as shown by the abundant hairstyle affixed with pegs to the top of the head and the details of the hands and feet. Collectors actively collected such naturalistic sculptures in the last quarter of the 19th century.