Object Name: Bottle

Artist: Unknown

Culture: Yaka peoples

Place of Origin: Democratic Republic of the Congo

Date: 19th century

Dimensions: H: 8.50 cm, W: 6.00 cm, D: 6.00 cm

Materials Used: Wood, beads, string

Credit Line: Fowler Museum at UCLA. Museum purchase.

Accession Number: X64.118a,b

Yaka figures demonstrate the intersections of sculpture and healing. The figure with the empty cavity once held a charge of potent medicinal substances, which its owners may have removed. The bottle in the shape of a female figure may have served as a medicinal container. The rendering of the female figure with her arms positioned tightly under her breasts and a turned-up nose are hallmarks of Yaka style.

Source: Gallery text, Intersections: World Arts, Local Lives, 2006