Three-Headed Figure (Sakimatwemtwe)
Brooklyn Museum photograph
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The Brooklyn Museum is commemorating its 200th anniversary by spotlighting 200 standout objects in its encyclopedic collection.
This three-headed figure is called sakimatwemtwe, meaning “many heads.” The work would have been owned by a male member of the semi-secret Bwami society of the Lega people of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. This association’s teachings, which guide moral development and relationships with others, are represented through carved objects such as this wooden figure. The figure represents Kindi, a rank reserved for the highest-level initiates of the Bwami society, who are the principal visual arts patrons among the Lega people.
Deeply conceptual, the profusion of heads embodies complex and multiple meanings. This figure is the visual representation of the proverb “Many heads have seen the elephant across the large river.” The heads, therefore, represent equity, wisdom, and discernment, qualities that enable members of Kindi to see all sides of an issue and understand all things in their surroundings.
Object Label
Caption
Lega. Three-Headed Figure (Sakimatwemtwe), 19th century. Wood, fiber, kaolin, 5 1/2 x 2 x 1 1/8 in. (14 x 5.1 x 2.9 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Museum Expedition 1922, Robert B. Woodward Memorial Fund, 22.486. (Photo: Brooklyn Museum)
Tags
Collection
Collection
Culture
Title
Three-Headed Figure (Sakimatwemtwe)
Date
19th century
Geography
Place made: South Kivu or Maniema Province, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Medium
Wood, fiber, kaolin
Classification
Dimensions
5 1/2 x 2 x 1 1/8 in. (14 x 5.1 x 2.9 cm)
Credit Line
Museum Expedition 1922, Robert B. Woodward Memorial Fund
Accession Number
22.486
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