Sierra Leone
Temne

Wood
19th century
Statue Height: 12 in
Other – Ritual Symbolism – Statue

A 19th c. Temne sculpture figure from the African region of central northwestern Sierra Leone.  The term Temne means an “old man himself.”  They are considered to be one of the largest ethnic groups in Sierra Leone and are known for their farming, culture, and language. 

This female figure with her hair swept back, may have been used within the women’s medicine society called Angbon, whose members combined herbal preparations with spiritual aid to cure illnesses.   The composed facial features and closed mouth may signify poise and self-control.  In its totality, the figure embodies cultural ideas of female beauty and character.    The human form is one of the most widespread classical subjects in African art, and its representation conveys reams of hidden and explicit meanings about religious belief and practice, social identity, and aesthetics. African sculptors in numerous artistic traditions have developed and refined principles of abstraction to an unparalleled degree.