Kongo-Yombe Maternity Figure Phemba figure Yaëlle Biro

Yaëlle Biro

Sawankhalok wares are celebrated for their elegant forms

of Jukun origin

they used tools made from wood

Simple yet highly practical

Kongo-Yombe Maternity Figure Phemba figure Yaëlle BiroKongo peoples, Yombe subgroup, early to mid. 20th century, Mayombe region, Democratic Republic of the Congo. This exceptional and rare wooden maternity figure, known as phemba (or pfemba), is a powerful embodiment of Kongo Yombe ideals of feminine beauty and spiritual significance. Carved with exquisite detail, the figure depicts a seated mother cradling a child, her legs crossed atop a small base. She tenderly supports the child's head with her right