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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