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One of a pair, this male figure is adorned with metal, bead, and shell ornaments at the ears, waist, and ankles. An ornament on his upper arm may identify him as a warrior. Each figure has a series of vertically aligned bumps on the forehead. These represent highly raised keloid scars that were culturally meaningful forms of body modification. Carving of paired figures is well documented among the Ngbandi and their neighbors, the Ngbaka-Minagende, where such sculptures are said to represent the mythical ancestor Seto and his sister-wife, Nabo. Field-based research cannot confirm the existence of figurative couples among the Ngbandi.

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Page
1
Source index
0
Type
photo
Media ID
7ba70e95b4454604
Size
unknown

Document data

ID
168758
Core
obj
Type
sculpture
DTO data
{
    "id": "168758",
    "contentType": "sculpture",
    "title": "Male Figure of a Pair",
    "description": "One of a pair, this male figure is adorned with metal, bead, and shell ornaments at the ears, waist, and ankles. An ornament on his upper arm may identify him as a warrior. Each figure has a series of vertically aligned bumps on the forehead. These represent highly raised keloid scars that were culturally meaningful forms of body modification. Carving of paired figures is well documented among the Ngbandi and their neighbors, the Ngbaka-Minagende, where such sculptures are said to represent the mythical ancestor Seto and his sister-wife, Nabo. Field-based research cannot confirm the existence of figurative couples among the Ngbandi.",
    "date": "late 1800s–early 1900s",
    "citation": "https://clevelandart.org/art/2010.459.1",
    "rights": "CC0",
    "rightsUri": "CC0",
    "language": "en",
    "wikidata": [
        "Q60759149"
    ],
    "genreSpecific": [
        "Sculpture"
    ],
    "iiifBase": "https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/2010.459.1/2010.459.1_web.jpg",
    "thumbnailUrl": "https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/2010.459.1/2010.459.1_web.jpg",
    "largeImageUrl": "https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/2010.459.1/2010.459.1_web.jpg",
    "imageCount": 1,
    "source": "import",
    "dimensionsRaw": "Overall: 45 x 15.5 x 9.2 cm (17 11/16 x 6 1/8 x 3 5/8 in.)",
    "cul": [
        "Africa, Central Africa, Democratic Republic of Congo, probably Ngbandi-style carver"
    ],
    "accession": "2010.459.1"
}

Context sent to Scholar

Document identity
{
    "localId": "168758",
    "label": "Male Figure of a Pair",
    "core": "obj",
    "dtoType": "sculpture"
}
Document source metadata
{
    "id": "168758",
    "contentType": "sculpture",
    "title": "Male Figure of a Pair",
    "description": "One of a pair, this male figure is adorned with metal, bead, and shell ornaments at the ears, waist, and ankles. An ornament on his upper arm may identify him as a warrior. Each figure has a series of vertically aligned bumps on the forehead. These represent highly raised keloid scars that were culturally meaningful forms of body modification. Carving of paired figures is well documented among the Ngbandi and their neighbors, the Ngbaka-Minagende, where such sculptures are said to represent the mythical ancestor Seto and his sister-wife, Nabo. Field-based research cannot confirm the existence of figurative couples among the Ngbandi.",
    "date": "late 1800s–early 1900s",
    "citation": "https://clevelandart.org/art/2010.459.1",
    "rights": "CC0",
    "rightsUri": "CC0",
    "language": "en",
    "wikidata": [
        "Q60759149"
    ],
    "genreSpecific": [
        "Sculpture"
    ],
    "iiifBase": "https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/2010.459.1/2010.459.1_web.jpg",
    "thumbnailUrl": "https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/2010.459.1/2010.459.1_web.jpg",
    "largeImageUrl": "https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/2010.459.1/2010.459.1_web.jpg",
    "imageCount": 1,
    "source": "import",
    "dimensionsRaw": "Overall: 45 x 15.5 x 9.2 cm (17 11/16 x 6 1/8 x 3 5/8 in.)",
    "cul": [
        "Africa, Central Africa, Democratic Republic of Congo, probably Ngbandi-style carver"
    ],
    "accession": "2010.459.1"
}
Document source extras
{
    "tec": "Wood, iron alloy, copper alloy, and cloth",
    "tombstone": "Male Figure of a Pair, late 1800s–early 1900s. Africa, Central Africa, Democratic Republic of Congo, probably Ngbandi-style carver. Wood, iron alloy, copper alloy, and cloth; overall: 45 x 15.5 x 9.2 cm (17 11/16 x 6 1/8 x 3 5/8 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, René and Odette Delenne Collection, Leonard C. Hanna Jr. Fund, 2010.459.1",
    "collection": "African Art",
    "didYouKnow": "Few examples of Ngbandi sculpture exist, and even fewer retain their adornments.",
    "citations": [
        {
            "citation": "Kunsthaus Zürich, and Elsy Leuzinger. 1970. <em>Die Kunst Von Schwarz-Afrika : [Ausstellung: Kunsthaus Zürich] 31. Oktober 1970-17. Januar 1971</em>. Recklinghausen: Verlag Aurel Bongers, p. 331, cat. X27."
        },
        {
            "citation": "\"Recent Acquisitions (2005-11) at the Cleveland Museum of Art.\" The Burlington Magazine 1312:154 (July 2012): 525-32. Fig. I, p. 525."
        },
        {
            "citation": "Bastin, Marie-Louise, et al. <em>Utotombo. L'Art d'Afrique noire dans les collections privées belges: Société des Expositions du Palais des Beaux-Arts, Bruxelles, 25 mars-5 juin 1988</em>, 248, 309. Exh. Cat. Brussels: Société des Expositions du Palais des Beaux-Arts, March 25-June 5, 1988.",
            "page_number": "Reproduced: p. 248"
        },
        {
            "citation": "Grootaers, Jan-Lodewijk, ed. <em>Ubangi. Art et cultures au Coeur de l'Afrique</em>, 154-155. Exh. Cat. Brussels: Fonds Mercator, in association with Afrika Museum, October 13, 2007-March 31, 2008.",
            "page_number": "Reproduced: 154-155"
        },
        {
            "citation": "Petridis, Constantine. \"René and Odette Delenne.\" In <em>Tribal Art</em> XV-4, no. 61 (Autumn 2011): pp. 118-124.",
            "page_number": "Reproduced: p. 120"
        },
        {
            "citation": "Franklin, David. \"Recent acquisitions (2005-11) at the Cleveland Museum of Art.\" In <em>The</em> <em>Burlington Magazine</em> 154, no. 1312 (July 2012): pp. 525-532.",
            "page_number": "p. 525"
        },
        {
            "citation": "Petridis, Constantine, et al. <em>Fragments of the Invisible</em>: <em>The René and Odette Delenne Collection of Congo Sculpture.</em> Cleveland, Ohio: Cleveland Museum of Art. Milan: 5 Continents, 2013, 26, 89, 94-95.",
            "page_number": "Mentioned: pp. 12, 26, 89-91"
        },
        {
            "citation": "Cleveland Museum of Art. <em>The CMA Companion: A Guide to the Cleveland Museum of Art</em>. Cleveland: Cleveland Museum of Art, 2014.",
            "page_number": "Mentioned and reproduced: P. 38"
        },
        {
            "citation": "Bangerter, Walter, and Elsy Leuzinger. <em>Afrikanische Kunstwerke: Kulturen am Niger</em>, 335. Exh. Cat. Recklinghausen: Verlag Aurel Bongers, in association with Villa Hügel, March 25-June 13, 1971.",
            "page_number": "Reproduced: p. 335"
        },
        {
            "citation": "Heymer, Kay, and Siegfried Gohr. <em>Afrikanische Skulptur: Die Erfindung der Figur</em>, 200. Exh. Cat. Cologne: Museum Ludwig, July 7-September 30, 1990.",
            "page_number": "Reproduced: p. 200"
        }
    ],
    "url": "https://clevelandart.org/art/2010.459.1",
    "creditline": "René and Odette Delenne Collection, Leonard C. Hanna Jr. Fund",
    "updatedAt": "2026-05-29 08:40:55.702000",
    "imageUrl": "https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/2010.459.1/2010.459.1_print.jpg",
    "sourceId": 168758,
    "dept": "African Art",
    "coll": "African Art",
    "med": "Wood, iron alloy, copper alloy, and cloth",
    "thumbnail_url": null,
    "image_url": null
}
Page context
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