Mother and child. Dogon. Tellum.
Mother and child. Dogon. Erich Lessing. Culture and Fine Arts Archives. ARTstor.
This specific fertility piece originated and was created by the Dogon peoples from the region of Tellum. It’s a wooden sculptural figure that dated back to the 14th century that generally stands 7.5 inches high. The maternity figure represents woman status in the Dogon region. The abstract breasts signify maturity and motherhood and goes on to prove the message in the sculpture. The fact that the figure is seated on a stool represents the message of power and leadership.[1] This object asserts the interdependence of all its members, but especially women. It suggests and reveals how individuals should ideally appreciate and understand the roles of everyone in a society. This relates to gender balance representation because it depicts how women are recognized in the Bamana culture. Not every culture in Africa has the same equalities and values in regards to gender differences, but this piece shows how important women, fertility, and children are to the culture. It is significant to the Dogon peoples of where life comes from and who can give life.[2]
Mother and child. Dogon. Erich Lessing. Culture and Fine Arts Archives. ARTstor.
This specific fertility piece originated and was created by the Dogon peoples from the region of Tellum. It’s a wooden sculptural figure that dated back to the 14th century that generally stands 7.5 inches high. The maternity figure represents woman status in the Dogon region. The abstract breasts signify maturity and motherhood and goes on to prove the message in the sculpture. The fact that the figure is seated on a stool represents the message of power and leadership.[1] This object asserts the interdependence of all its members, but especially women. It suggests and reveals how individuals should ideally appreciate and understand the roles of everyone in a society. This relates to gender balance representation because it depicts how women are recognized in the Bamana culture. Not every culture in Africa has the same equalities and values in regards to gender differences, but this piece shows how important women, fertility, and children are to the culture. It is significant to the Dogon peoples of where life comes from and who can give life.[2]
Gelede Mask. Yoruba. Nigeria.
Gelede Woman's and Mask. Yoruba. University of California, San Diego. ARTstor.
The Gelede Mask is used in a performance that shows the appreciation of the ancestral spirits danced by the Yoruba peoples. Men play a major role in this performance in which they execute dances and movements that celebrate founding foremothers. The Gelede Masquerade also honors powerful women and elders. A woman's status is highly appreciated and significant within this community. It is based largely from a woman’s reputation in trading, her craftsmanship, and her wealth, rather than her just based off of her husband's importance.[3] Since the principal occupation of Yoruba women is trading, many Gelede masks depict market women, like the picture depicted above. These women are more economically independent of their husbands, and that’s why the dance is performed by men-to illustrate that appreciation and importance. This is an important and sturdy example of gender balance, as it is easy to see not only how important women are in the society, but also how valued they are as well.[4]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DaQuGEndA8k
Gelede Woman's and Mask. Yoruba. University of California, San Diego. ARTstor.
The Gelede Mask is used in a performance that shows the appreciation of the ancestral spirits danced by the Yoruba peoples. Men play a major role in this performance in which they execute dances and movements that celebrate founding foremothers. The Gelede Masquerade also honors powerful women and elders. A woman's status is highly appreciated and significant within this community. It is based largely from a woman’s reputation in trading, her craftsmanship, and her wealth, rather than her just based off of her husband's importance.[3] Since the principal occupation of Yoruba women is trading, many Gelede masks depict market women, like the picture depicted above. These women are more economically independent of their husbands, and that’s why the dance is performed by men-to illustrate that appreciation and importance. This is an important and sturdy example of gender balance, as it is easy to see not only how important women are in the society, but also how valued they are as well.[4]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DaQuGEndA8k
Maternity Statue. Yombe. Congo.
Pfemba Maternity Statue. University of San Diego. ARTstor.
This piece of artwork is produced from the Yombe peoples of Kongo. It is a wooden sculptural representation of maternity and fertility from the late 19th or early 20th century. The sculpture and idealistic features on the piece are extremely valued in the community. This figure also signifies historical feminine beauty. The raised geometric patterns on the chest and back, beaded adornments, and hairstyle depict this figure as a woman of status. The mother's peaked hairstyle is related to the child cradled in her lap and the piece may have been placed in a shrine to honor the ancestral mothers of a lineage. The smooth and shiny surface of the object suggests the surface of water, a symbolic link to the ancestral realm. Kongo cosmology represents water as the median that separates the living world from the afterlife. This piece is a good example of gender balance representation as well. Like a lot of fertility and maternity objects, this piece shows how valued not only women are in society, but how fertility is significant as well.[5]
Pfemba Maternity Statue. University of San Diego. ARTstor.
This piece of artwork is produced from the Yombe peoples of Kongo. It is a wooden sculptural representation of maternity and fertility from the late 19th or early 20th century. The sculpture and idealistic features on the piece are extremely valued in the community. This figure also signifies historical feminine beauty. The raised geometric patterns on the chest and back, beaded adornments, and hairstyle depict this figure as a woman of status. The mother's peaked hairstyle is related to the child cradled in her lap and the piece may have been placed in a shrine to honor the ancestral mothers of a lineage. The smooth and shiny surface of the object suggests the surface of water, a symbolic link to the ancestral realm. Kongo cosmology represents water as the median that separates the living world from the afterlife. This piece is a good example of gender balance representation as well. Like a lot of fertility and maternity objects, this piece shows how valued not only women are in society, but how fertility is significant as well.[5]