This carved wooden sculpture depicts a standing female figure balancing a woven basket upon her head, a motif commonly associated with themes of labor, provision, and maternal responsibility in many West African artistic traditions. The woman stands upright in a composed, dignified posture, her elongated form emphasizing grace and stability. Her facial features are stylized, with almond-shaped eyes, a calm expression, and carefully carved coiffure framing the head.
The figure wears a long patterned garment decorated with incised geometric motifs, demonstrating the artist’s attention to texture and surface ornamentation. A smaller attendant or child figure appears beside and partly behind her, reinforcing themes of family, community, or guardianship. The basket overhead is rendered with crosshatched carving to imitate woven fiber construction.
Darkened patina and visible tool marks suggest age and hand-crafted workmanship.
Materials: Carved wood
Style: ceremonial folk sculpture
Origin: West Africa, Nigeria
Agbonmwenre, Alex. Woman Carrying Basket with Attendant Child, Wood, Private collection, Benin City.
HIGHPOLY MODEL INCLUDED IN ADDITIONAL FILES