Figure of Mother and Child (Phemba)

This Kongo sculpture appears to depict a mother and her child, though the adult figure looks beyond the infant, who doesn’t lean into her breast. The inconsistency between their possible relationship and gestures suggests a deeper meaning. In the Yombe region, Kongo society is matrilineal and has female clan founders (mpemba). Their sweeping hairstyle, seen here, is similarly called mphemba, alluding to that role. Thus, this mphemba-wearing woman is likely a clan progenitor, and the other figure her descendant. This and other similar sculptures are linked to a Kongo fertility-focused women’s cult that flourished from 1770 to 1850, during the height of the Transatlantic Slave Trade. During this period, women both raised children and took on customarily male agricultural roles. This sculpture underscores how Kongo women supported future generations during a time of widespread social upheaval and trauma.