Kongo Ntadi figure

Nineteenth-century Ntadi figure in the collection of the Minneapolis Institute of Art, from the Democratic Republic of Congo. From the object's gallery label: "The stone used for this sculpture is relatively soft, so that the artist could carve it almost as easily as wood. The figure was placed outside to demarcate the land of a clan, embellish the grave of a chief, and celebrate the legacy of the past. It represents a chief, recognizable by his hat, which used to show four leopard claws (now missing), and his pensive pose—known as fumani, or “thinker of sad things”—that symbolizes wisdom, thoughtfulness, and authority." More information about the sculpture here: https://collections.artsmia.org/art/126818/ntadi-figure-kongo