Collection record · Objects & craft
Male Figure
The collection record classifies this work as sculpture. It is dated late 1800s-early 1900s. Recorded culture or place: Africa, Central Africa, Republic of the Congo or Democratic Republic of the Congo, Teke-style maker.
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A closer look at the details.
- Museum title
- Male Figure
- Date
- late 1800s-early 1900s
- Culture / origin
- Africa, Central Africa, Republic of the Congo or Democratic Republic of the Congo, Teke-style maker
- Materials and technique
- Wood, cloth, organic material, and copper alloy
- Dimensions
- Overall: 23.5 x 7.5 x 8 cm (9 1/4 x 2 15/16 x 3 1/8 in.); without base: 23.3 cm (9 3/16 in.)
- Artist / maker
- Not specified by the museum
- Museum
- The Cleveland Museum of Art
- Accession number
- 2010.431
FROM THE MUSEUM
In the museum’s words
The following description is reproduced from the Cleveland Museum of Art’s original English record.
This figure was the Delennes' first African art acquisition. They purchased the work in Paris in 1958—the year they were married—from the then leading French dealer Henri Kamer. The couple's interest in African art, which also inspired this particular acquisition, was triggered by their visit to the Congolese pavilion at the Brussels world's fair that same year. This experience made a lasting impression and triggered a lifelong appreciation for the art of what was then still the Belgian Congo. Although Odette later admitted that she knew that this figure was not the best example of Teke art, she and her husband held on to it because it served as a personal souvenir of their meeting each other.
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Text and image sources
The Cleveland Museum of Art · René and Odette Delenne Collection, Leonard C. Hanna Jr. Fund · CC0
The summary is based on public collection data. Refer to the museum’s latest record for the title, date and attribution.
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