Kongo-Yombe Maternity Figure Phemba

Kongo 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 hand and its legs with her left. The mother is adorned with symbols of Kongo leadership and status, including a royal knotted hat (mpu), intricate raised scarifications across her shoulders, chest, and back, and finely rendered jewelry, including a necklace and bracelets. Her firm breasts and filed teeth further emphasize her esteemed position as an idealized matriarch. The face of the figure is mesmerizing, marked by delicate and harmonious lines. The smooth oval contours feature a broad, flat nose, arched brows, and a pointed chin. Her piercing oval eyes gaze directly ahead, while her slightly open mouth, showing two incisors and a tongue, conveys an air of quiet authority and transcendence. Symmetrically carved ears enhance the balance of her facial composition.

Among the Yombe, the color red holds profound associations with birth and death. During rituals involving phemba figures, the surfaces were rubbed with a mixture of palm oil and camwood powder, leaving a characteristic red residue. This ritual practice underscores the figure's role as a mediator between the earthly and spiritual realms. Phemba figures, particularly those representing a mother with a child, hold deep cultural and spiritual significance among the Kongo peoples, especially the Yombe subgroup. These figures are thought to connect to a women's cult (mpemba), which focuses on fertility and addressing infertility. Two primary iconographic variants exist: one depicting a cross-legged woman with a deceased infant and another portraying a woman with a living child, as seen here.

Ethnographer Leo Bittremieux, writing in 1939, described "Phemba" as "the one who gives children-in-potentia," highlighting the figure's association with the mystical conception of children. The pfemba child, often portrayed in a supine, unexpressive pose, is considered a magically conceived nkisi child—a delicate emissary from the spirit world. This sublime artifact is a timeless testament to Kongo artistry and spiritual depth, blending maternal devotion with the sacred.

Excellent condition. Wear consistent with age and ritual use. Minor cracks and abrasion. Softly worn surface patina. Beautiful reddish brown color. Size approx. 15,3cm x 6,5cm x 6,0cm.

Provenance: From the estate of Jan Ölander, Sweden. From 1984 to 1987, Jan Ölander served as the Swedish ambassador to Zambia and Malawi.

For a similar examples see:

Female figure with child, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian, Accession Number: 86-12-12 (http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ys7d7f13447-1c37-47fc-830e-52e3afac6319)

Figure of Mother and Child (Phemba), The Brooklyn Museum, Accession Number: 22.1138 (https://www.brooklynmuseum.org/opencollection/objects/2948)

References and further reading:

Icons: Ideals and Power in the Art of Africa, Herbert M. Cole, Smithsonian, 1990.

National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution. “Smithsonian Learning Lab Resource: Female figure with child.” Smithsonian Learning Lab, Smithsonian Office of Educational Technology, 3 Nov. 2015. (https://dev.sll.nnth.dev/q/r/241275)

The Four Moments of the Sun: Kongo Art in Two Worlds, Robert Farris Thompson & Joseph Cornet, National Gallery of Art, Washington DC, 1981.