Makonde African Belly Mask Statue/Figure 18″ – Tanzania

Tribe Information

About the Makonde People

“The Makonde people belong to the Bantu people who originally lived in the south of Lake Nyassa and later migrated to their present location on the Mueda plateau in the northern Mozambique. They survive economically from farming and, occasionally, cattle rearing.
Makonde carvers are prolific producers of masks, statues and decorative objects.
Makonde sculptures measure from 20 to 80 cm in height, are carved as standing men or women, represent ancestors, and have apotropaic functions.”

Source:
Baquart, Jean-Baptiste. The Tribal Arts of Africa. New York: Thames and Hudson Inc. 1998. Print.