Bidyogo
Bissagos IslandBird Head on a Stand, n.d.
Not on view
Wood
Dimensions16 × 8 3/4 in. (40.6 × 22.2 cm)
Gift of Justice and Mrs. G. Mennen Williams, 1973.4
According to Bidgyogo culture the soul only finds peace after death if a wood statue is carved within which it can rest. These statues are both memorials to the deceased and dwelling places for the soul. They often depict a figure seated on a stool, in this case a hornbill, a bird found throughout Sub-Saharan Africa. In Bidgyogo and many African cultures, birds are sacred and bringers of fertility. The Bidgyogo peoples associate the hornbill with motherhood and protection.
