Fon Kneeling Figure with Beads

Dress the figure, and you change what it means. In Fon tradition, carved figures were often adorned this way, the added materials contributing to the meaning and power of the object.

This kneeling woman was carved by the Fon peoples of Benin in the 20th century and stands a foot tall on a round base. Her domed head is serene, eyes closed, with fine incised scarification across the cheeks. A crosshatched pattern marks the abdomen. Glass beads circle her neck, a girdle of coiled brass and cowries wraps her waist, and brass rings stack at each wrist. The pale wood has a smooth, honeyed finish.

Calm, kneeling, and better dressed than you.