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Source Description
This Janus figure features opposing faces and symbolizes change and transformation. A cavity in the top of the head served to hold ingredients with magical and medicinal qualities. The figure played a pivotal role in cults dedicated to the ancestors; in exchange for prayers, libations, and offerings, the ancestors were asked to safeguard the well-being and fertility of the population.
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
168756
label
Janus Figure
core
obj
dtoType
sculpture
pageCount
1
Source metadata
id
168756
contentType
sculpture
title
Janus Figure
description
This Janus figure features opposing faces and symbolizes change and transformation. A cavity in the top of the head served to hold ingredients with magical and medicinal qualities. The figure played a pivotal role in cults dedicated to the ancestors; in exchange for prayers, libations, and offerings, the ancestors were asked to safeguard the well-being and fertility of the population.
date
late 1800s-early 1900s
rights
CC0
rightsUri
CC0
language
en
wikidata
Q80075140
genreSpecific
Sculpture
imageCount
1
source
import
dimensionsRaw
Overall: 30.8 x 7.9 x 7.3 cm (12 1/8 x 3 1/8 x 2 7/8 in.)
cul
Africa, Central Africa, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Hemba-style maker
accession
2010.458
Source extras
tec
Wood
tombstone
Janus Figure, late 1800s-early 1900s. Africa, Central Africa, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Hemba-style maker. Wood; overall: 30.8 x 7.9 x 7.3 cm (12 1/8 x 3 1/8 x 2 7/8 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, René and Odette Delenne Collection, Leonard C. Hanna Jr. Fund, 2010.458
collection
African Art
didYouKnow
The opposite faces refer to a dualistic philosophy, a threshold between past and future.
citations
citation
Petridis, Constantine, et al. <em>Fragments of the Invisible: The René and Odette Delenne Collection of Congo Sculpture.</em> Cleveland, OH: Cleveland Museum of Art. Milan: 5 Continents Editions, 2013, 86-87.
page_number
Reproduced: pp. 86-87; mentioned: p. 114, cat. 30
creditline
René and Odette Delenne Collection, Leonard C. Hanna Jr. Fund
updatedAt
2026-05-29 08:40:53.533000
sourceId
168756
dept
African Art
coll
African Art
med
Wood
thumbnail_url
image_url
Single page context
seq
1
pageIndex
0
type
photo
mediaId
f01b14320eec5020