Reliquary Guardian Figure (mbulu ngulu)
Artist
Kota artist
Date20th century
MediumWood and brass
Dimensionsheight, width, and depth: 17 5/8 × 7 3/4 × 2 1/8 in. (44.8 × 19.7 × 5.4 cm)
ClassificationsSculpture
Credit LineGift of Mr. and Mrs. Gordon Hanes
Object numberGL.72.19.41
On View
On viewIn this guardian figure, the artist intentionally employed an intense and relentless gaze to ward off intruders. Brass is also present, believed to have qualities that helped to both repel trespassers from the shrine and maintain harmony between living descendants and the deceased. Though intent, gaze, and material signal the seriousness of this artwork, mbulu ngulu remains a favorite among collectors of African art.Published References"Acquisitions," North Carolina Museum of Art Bulletin 12, nos. 1 and 2 (December 1973), group of objects on long-term loan listed 68.
North Carolina Collects (exhibition catalogue) (Raleigh: North Carolina Museum of Art, 1967), cat. no. 96, illus. (b-w).
Exhibition HistoryRaleigh, NC, North Carolina Museum of Art, "North Carolina Collects," October 10–29, 1967, cat. no. 96, illus. (b-w).
Raleigh, NC, North Carolina Museum of Art, "African Sculpture from the Hanes Corporation," February 11-August 15, 1972.
Greensboro, NC, Weatherspoon Art Gallery, September 9–30, 1973.
Raleigh, NC, North Carolina Museum of Art, “Reflections on Light: Works from the NCMA Collection,” September 9, 2020–August 15, 2021.
Raleigh, NC, North Carolina Museum of Art, "The People's Collection, Reimagined," October 7, 2022–present. Object Rights Statement
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