Christ

Unknown

18th–19th century · Open-back cast brass · Arts of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas

This representation of Christ powerfully distills certain features to endow the figure with a highly expressive character. Both the arms that extend outward at the summit and the legs that are joined at the base terminate in flattened star-like appendages. At the center of the composition, dramatic emphasis is given to the ribs and navel, while the garment is defined schematically as a flattened knot and a rectangular drape filled with an “x.”

Artist

Unknown

Date

18th–19th century

Medium

Open-back cast brass

Culture

Kongo peoples; Kongo Kingdom

Department

Arts of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas

Credit line

Gift of Ernst Anspach, 1999