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Alternate Views

May 5, 2011

Male Figure

late 1800s-early 1900s

Africa, Central Africa, Republic of the Congo, Beembe-style maker

Wood, ceramic or Formica, copper alloy, and iron alloy

Overall: 47.5 x 14.8 x 16.3 cm (18 11/16 x 5 13/16 x 6 7/16 in.)

René and Odette Delenne Collection, Leonard C. Hanna, Jr. Fund 2010.428

Location

108A Sub-Saharan

Did you know?

This figure is considered “monumental” as most other types of Beembe figures measure about 15 centimeters tall.

Description

This sculpture played a role in ancestral worship among the Beembe people. Ancestors are held in high regard among the Beembe, and this figure is thought to represent an idealized form of a deceased individual within the ethnic group. The object is one of only two seated male Beembe figures of this size in Western institutions.

Provenance

?–1966

(Merton Simpson [1928-2013], New York, NY, 1966, sold to René and Odette Delenne)

1966–2010

René [1901-1998] and Odette Delenne [1925-2012], Brussels, BE, 2010, sold to the Cleveland Museum of Art

2010–

The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH

Citations

Leuzinger, Elsy. Die Kunst von Schwarz-Afrika, 269. Exh. Cat. Recklinghausen: Verlag Aurel Bongers, in association with Kunsthaus Zürich, October 31, 1970-February 10, 1971. Reproduced: p. 269, cat. S6

Leuzinger, Elsy. Afrikanische Kunstwerke: Kulturen am Niger, 273. Exh. Cat. Recklinghausen: Verlag Aurel Bongers, in association with Villa Hügel, March 25-June 13, 1971. Reproduced: p. 273, cat. no. S 6

Wichmann, Siegfried, ed. World Cultures and Modern Art, 271. Exh. Cat. Munich: Verlag Bruckmann, in association with Haus der Kunst, June 16-September 30, 1972. Mentioned: p. 271, no. 1782; reproduced: p. 271, no. 1782

Wichmann, Siegfried, ed. Weltkulturen und moderne Kunst, 64. Exh. Cat. Munich: Verlag Bruckmann, in association with Haus der Kunst, June 16-September 30, 1972. 64, cat. 1782

Söderberg, Bertil. "Les Figures d'ancêtres chez les Babembé," in Arts d'Afrique Noire, no. 13 (1975): 21-33; no. 14 (1975): 14-37. Reproduced: p. 27

Bastin, Marie-Louise, et al. Utotombo. L'Art d'Afrique noire dans les collections privées belges, 95. Exh. Cat. Brussels: Société des Expositions du Palais des Beaux-Arts, March 25-June 5, 1988. Reproduced: p. 95, cat. XXVII; mentioned: p. 296

Lehuard, Raoul. Art Bakongo. Les Centres de style 2. Arnouville, FR: Arts d'Afrique Noire, 1989, 379. Mentioned: p. 379; reproduced: p. 381, fig. G 17-2-1

Heymer, Kay, and Siegfried Gohr. Afrikanische Skulptur: Die Erfindung der Figur, 181. Exh. Cat. Cologne: Museum Ludwig, July 7-September 30, 1990. Reproduced: p. 181, fig. 81

Petridis, Constantine. "René and Odette Delenne." In Tribal Art XV-4, no. 61 (Autumn 2011): 118. Reproduced p. 118, fig. 2

Petridis, Constantine, et al. Fragments of the Invisible: The René and Odette Delenne Collection of Congo Sculpture. Cleveland, OH: Cleveland Museum of Art. Milan: 5 Continents Editions, 2013, 35, 105. Reproduced and mentioned: pp. 18-19, 35, 105, 112, cat. 2

"In Case You Missed It: Fragments of the Invisible." The International Review of African American Art 25, no. 1 (2014): 10-11. Reproduced: p.11.

Exhibition history

Kunsthaus Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland (October 31, 1970 - February 10, 1971)

Haus der Kunst, Munich, Germany (June 16 - September 30, 1972)

Utotombo: L'Art d'Afrique noire dans les collections privées belges. Société des Expositions du Palais des Beaux-Arts, Brussels, Belgium (March 25 - June 5, 1988)

Museum Ludwig, Cologne, Germany (July 7 - September 30, 1990)

Gemeentemuseum Den Haag, The Hague, Netherlands (November - January 1991)

Fragments of the Invisible: The Rene and Odette Delenne Collection of Congo Sculpture. The Cleveland Museum of Art (organizer) (October 27, 2013-February 9, 2014).

Cite this page

{{cite web|title=Male Figure|url=https://clevelandart.org/art/2010.428|year=late 1800s-early 1900s|access-date=09 August 2022|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

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Male Figure

Male Figure

Africa, Central Africa, Republic of the Congo, Beembe-style maker

Location

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