Panel (Hungaan), 19thcentury.
Kwenge Valley, Bandundu Province,
Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Wood, pigment, 99.2 x 45.3 cm.
Museum für Völkerkunde, Hamburg.
This wooden panel is an example of a recurring feminine
motif in which a female figure with splayed legs exposes
her genitals. In most regions of East-Central Africa, female
modesty is a common part of daily life; there is no tolerance
for the nudity of a grown woman. Thus, this picture must
represent an unusual situation, outside of daily life.
According to the feminist Laura Mulvey, this woman is used
as a representation of a character that is not considered a
“woman” at all and is rather an origination of the male
imagination. During rituals, men communicate with such
images. These are not only the result of work or male
sculptor commissioned works for wealthy dignitaries, but
the imagery is also meant to teach the young men of the
Kwango River region.
The wooden board contains evidence of sexual
curiosity; the woman is viewed as a sexual object that is
charged with the role of bearing children. In the context of
male rituals, this symbol also points out the importance of
solidarity in the male community. Visually, this relief consists
of two “W” forms, which support the diamond-shaped
head, while the other seems to float in the air, thus pointing
out the exposed breasts. This plaque was found on an old
door and seems to be a kitekki- a talisman attached to the
door of a patient to ensure protection and healing.