Congolese Wood Standing Figure

Ten inches tall. Small enough to be kept close.

In the Democratic Republic of Congo, figures of this scale often stayed near the household, tied to ancestors or to protection. This one, carved in the 20th century, is slender. The torso and neck are long. The arms are cut free from the body, hands resting on the abdomen above an incised band at the waist.

The face is calm and compact. Almond eyes sit beneath a darkened cap of hair. The wood runs warm honey-brown with darker mottling, and the figure stands on a round, roughly faceted base.

Give it a quiet shelf. It does not need an audience.