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Janus Figure
late 1800s-early 1900s
The Cleveland Museum of Art
Cleveland, United States
This Janus figure features opposing faces and symbolizes change and transformation. A cavity in the top of the head served to hold ingredients with magical and medicinal qualities. The figure played a pivotal role in cults dedicated to the ancestors; in exchange for prayers, libations, and offerings, the ancestors were asked to safeguard the well-being and fertility of the population.
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Details
- Title: Janus Figure
- Date Created: late 1800s-early 1900s
- Physical Dimensions: Overall: 30.8 x 7.9 x 7.3 cm (12 1/8 x 3 1/8 x 2 7/8 in.)
- Provenance: (Marcel Dumoulin, Brussels, BE, 1967, sold to René and Odette Delenne), René [1901-1998] and Odette Delenne [1925-2012], Brussels, BE, 2010, sold to the Cleveland Museum of Art, The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH, 2010
- Type: Sculpture
- Rights: CC0
- External Link: https://clevelandart.org/art/2010.458
- Medium: Wood
- Fun Fact: The opposite faces refer to a dualistic philosophy, a threshold between past and future.
- Department: African Art
- Culture: Central Africa, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Hemba people
- Credit Line: René and Odette Delenne Collection, Leonard C. Hanna, Jr. Fund
- Collection: African Art
- Accession Number: 2010.458
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