Yaka
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Central Africa
Standing Figure (Yiteke)
INV-7035
Yaka
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Central AfricaLate 19th/early 20th century
Standing Figure (Yiteke)
Yaka Democratic Republic of the Congo Central Africa →yakaArts of Africaafrican ArtCentral Africasculpturewood
Date
Late 19th/early 20th century
Medium
Wood
Dimensions
28 × 7 × 6.4 cm (11 × 2 3/4 × 2 1/2 in.)
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Location
Chicago, IL
Credit
Gift of Deborah Stokes and Jeffrey Hammer
Among the Yaka, these types of small wooden sculptures are known as yiteki and they serve a ritual function as receptacles for powerful substances employed to avert, contain and control malevolent forces. One of the most striking features of most yiteki is the prominent up-turned nose, which perhaps references the elephant—one of the most powerful animals in the bush. This figure holds both arms up to its chest or beard, wears a hat, has protruding ears, closed eyes, and a roughly cylindrical body with bulging stomach, bent knees and large feet.
Also notable
Works in the same vein
