Kongo-Yombe Maternity Figure Phemba figure Traces of libations and worm

Traces of libations and worm holes

The presence of this beautifully crafted sheep underscores its symbolic and ritual significance in Ming Dynasty funerary traditions

and radiating incised lines and symbols that may hold cultural or spiritual significance

they used tools made from wood

Simple yet highly practical

Kongo-Yombe Maternity Figure Phemba figure Traces of libations and wormKongo peoples, Yombe subgroup, early to mid. 20th century, Mayombe region, Democratic Republic of the Congo. This exceptional and rare wooden maternity figure, known as phemba (or pfemba), is a powerful embodiment of Kongo Yombe ideals of feminine beauty and spiritual significance. Carved with exquisite detail, the figure depicts a seated mother cradling a child, her legs crossed atop a small base. She tenderly supports the child's head with her right