Janus Figure (late 1800s-early 1900s): Art, History and Details

Janus Figure (late 1800s-early 1900s) is in the Cleveland Museum of Art collection.

The work and its context

The museum's open-access catalogue describes the work:

This Janus figure features opposing faces and symbolizes change and transformation. A cavity in the top of the head served to hold ingredients with magical and medicinal qualities. The figure played a pivotal role in cults dedicated to the ancestors; in exchange for prayers, libations, and offerings, the ancestors were asked to safeguard the well-being and fertility of the population.

Object facts

• Title: Janus Figure
• Date: late 1800s-early 1900s
• Culture: Africa, Central Africa, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Hemba-style maker
• Type: Sculpture
• Technique: Wood
• Dimensions: Overall: 30.8 x 7.9 x 7.3 cm (12 1/8 x 3 1/8 x 2 7/8 in.)
• Collection: African Art
• Department: African Art
• Accession number: 2010.458

A detail from the museum

The opposite faces refer to a dualistic philosophy, a threshold between past and future.

Collection credit

René and Odette Delenne Collection, Leonard C. Hanna Jr. Fund

Further reading listed by the museum

• Petridis, Constantine, et al. Fragments of the Invisible: The René and Odette Delenne Collection of Congo Sculpture. Cleveland, OH: Cleveland Museum of Art. Milan: 5 Continents Editions, 2013, 86-87.

View the collection record

See the museum's photographs and full catalogue entry. Catalogue text is reproduced from the Cleveland Museum of Art's open-access data, with HTML formatting removed. This object and its supplied image are designated CC0.