id: 168721 accession number: 2010.428 share license status: CC0 url: https://clevelandart.org/art/2010.428 updated: 2023-08-24 00:44:41.877000 Male Figure, late 1800s-early 1900s. Africa, Central Africa, Republic of the Congo, Beembe-style maker. Wood, ceramic or Formica, copper alloy, and iron alloy; overall: 47.5 x 14.8 x 16.3 cm (18 11/16 x 5 13/16 x 6 7/16 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, René and Odette Delenne Collection, Leonard C. Hanna, Jr. Fund 2010.428 title: Male Figure title in original language: series: series in original language: creation date: late 1800s-early 1900s creation date earliest: 1880 creation date latest: 1920 current location: 108A Sub-Saharan creditline: René and Odette Delenne Collection, Leonard C. Hanna, Jr. Fund copyright: --- culture: Africa, Central Africa, Republic of the Congo, Beembe-style maker technique: Wood, ceramic or Formica, copper alloy, and iron alloy department: African Art collection: African Art type: Sculpture find spot: catalogue raisonne: --- CREATORS --- measurements: Overall: 47.5 x 14.8 x 16.3 cm (18 11/16 x 5 13/16 x 6 7/16 in.) state of the work: edition of the work: support materials: inscriptions: --- CURRENT EXHIBITIONS title: Fragments of the Invisible: The Rene and Odette Delenne Collection of Congo Sculpture opening date: 2013-10-27T00:00:00 Fragments of the Invisible: The Rene and Odette Delenne Collection of Congo Sculpture. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (October 27, 2013-February 9, 2014). --- LEGACY EXHIBITIONS * Kunsthaus Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland (October 31, 1970 - February 10, 1971) * Haus der Kunst, Munich, Germany (June 16 - September 30, 1972) * Utotombo: L'Art d'Afrique noire dans les collections privées belges. Société des Expositions du Palais des Beaux-Arts, Brussels, Belgium (March 25 - June 5, 1988) * Museum Ludwig, Cologne, Germany (July 7 - September 30, 1990) * Gemeentemuseum Den Haag, The Hague, Netherlands (November - January 1991) --- PROVENANCE (Merton Simpson [1928-2013], New York, NY, 1966, sold to René and Odette Delenne) date: ?–1966 footnotes: citations: René [1901-1998] and Odette Delenne [1925-2012], Brussels, BE, 2010, sold to the Cleveland Museum of Art date: 1966–2010 footnotes: citations: The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH date: 2010– footnotes: citations: --- fun fact: This figure is considered “monumental” as most other types of Beembe figures measure about 15 centimeters tall. digital description: This sculpture played a role in ancestral worship among the Beembe people. Ancestors are held in high regard among the Beembe, and this figure is thought to represent an idealized form of a deceased individual within the ethnic group. The object is one of only two seated male Beembe figures of this size in Western institutions. wall description: This sculpture played a role in ancestral worship among the Beembe people. Ancestors are held in high regard among the Beembe, and this figure is thought to represent an idealized form of a deceased individual within the ethnic group. The object is one of only two seated male Beembe figures of this size in Western institutions. --- RELATED WORKS --- CITATIONS Leuzinger, Elsy. Die Kunst von Schwarz-Afrika, 269. Exh. Cat. Recklinghausen: Verlag Aurel Bongers, in association with Kunsthaus Zürich, October 31, 1970-February 10, 1971. page number: Reproduced: p. 269, cat. S6 url: Leuzinger, Elsy. Afrikanische Kunstwerke: Kulturen am Niger, 273. Exh. Cat. Recklinghausen: Verlag Aurel Bongers, in association with Villa Hügel, March 25-June 13, 1971. page number: Reproduced: p. 273, cat. no. S 6 url: Wichmann, Siegfried, ed. World Cultures and Modern Art, 271. Exh. Cat. Munich: Verlag Bruckmann, in association with Haus der Kunst, June 16-September 30, 1972. page number: Mentioned: p. 271, no. 1782; reproduced: p. 271, no. 1782 url: Wichmann, Siegfried, ed. Weltkulturen und moderne Kunst, 64. Exh. Cat. Munich: Verlag Bruckmann, in association with Haus der Kunst, June 16-September 30, 1972. page number: 64, cat. 1782 url: Söderberg, Bertil. "Les Figures d'ancêtres chez les Babembé," in Arts d'Afrique Noire, no. 13 (1975): 21-33; no. 14 (1975): 14-37. page number: Reproduced: p. 27 url: Bastin, Marie-Louise, et al. Utotombo. L'Art d'Afrique noire dans les collections privées belges, 95. Exh. Cat. Brussels: Société des Expositions du Palais des Beaux-Arts, March 25-June 5, 1988. page number: Reproduced: p. 95, cat. XXVII; mentioned: p. 296 url: Lehuard, Raoul. Art Bakongo. Les Centres de style 2. Arnouville, FR: Arts d'Afrique Noire, 1989, 379. page number: Mentioned: p. 379; reproduced: p. 381, fig. G 17-2-1 url: Heymer, Kay, and Siegfried Gohr. Afrikanische Skulptur: Die Erfindung der Figur, 181. Exh. Cat. Cologne: Museum Ludwig, July 7-September 30, 1990. page number: Reproduced: p. 181, fig. 81 url: Petridis, Constantine. "René and Odette Delenne." In Tribal Art XV-4, no. 61 (Autumn 2011): 118. page number: Reproduced p. 118, fig. 2 url: Petridis, Constantine, et al. Fragments of the Invisible: The René and Odette Delenne Collection of Congo Sculpture. Cleveland, OH: Cleveland Museum of Art. Milan: 5 Continents Editions, 2013, 35, 105. page number: Reproduced and mentioned: pp. 18-19, 35, 105, 112, cat. 2 url: "In Case You Missed It: Fragments of the Invisible." The International Review of African American Art 25, no. 1 (2014): 10-11. page number: Reproduced: p.11. url: --- IMAGES web: https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/2010.428/2010.428_web.jpg print: https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/2010.428/2010.428_print.jpg full: https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/2010.428/2010.428_full.tif