{"product_id":"early-20th-century-janus-two-faced-carved-figure","title":"Early 20th Century Janus Two Faced Carved Figure","description":"\u003cp\u003eMost figures ask you to look at them. This one is built to look back, in two directions at once. Two faces share a single head here, set back to back beneath a tuft of natural raffia, each carved with the same quiet, deliberate expression and touched with a warm reddish pigment that's worn unevenly with age. Below, the hands come together at the chest in a clasped, composed gesture, the body tapering into a single rounded form set on a faceted black pedestal. Janus figures like this one appear across several Central and West African carving traditions, most closely associated with the Songye and Bakongo peoples of the Congo region, where the double face reads as a figure keeping watch on both sides of existence at once, the living and the ancestors, what's behind and what's ahead. \u003cbr\u003eThat's a genuinely rare thing to hold in one small sculpture. Set it somewhere it can actually be walked around, a console, an open shelf, anywhere both faces get their turn to be seen.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e*Era: Vintage\u003cbr\u003e*Dimension: 7” x 7” x 17”H \u003cbr\u003e*Material: Carved wood, natural raffia\/fiber tuft, pigment accents\u003cbr\u003e*Finish: Dark aged wood finish with reddish pigment to the faces\u003cbr\u003e*Condition: Wear consistent with age \u0026amp; use, blemishes and imperfections will be present. These are not to be considered defects but rather part of its character \u0026amp; historical value. Raffia tuft intact, carving stable, mounted securely on included pedestal.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA carved wood Janus (two-faced) figure with clasped hands, a reddish pigment finish, and a natural raffia tuft, mounted on a faceted black pedestal. Janus figures of this type appear across several Central and West African carving traditions, most closely associated with the Songye and Bakongo peoples of the Congo region, symbolizing duality and watching over both the living and the ancestors at once.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eQ\u0026amp;A:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat does the double face represent? \u003c\/strong\u003eJanus, or two-faced, figures appear across several African carving traditions, most closely tied to the Songye and Bakongo peoples of the Congo region, where the dual face is read as watching in two directions simultaneously, ancestors and the living, spirit and physical worlds, past and future.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhich tradition does this specific piece come from?\u003c\/strong\u003e We can't say with confidence from photos alone. The facial carving doesn't match the sharp, geometric style typically associated with Songye work closely enough to attribute it there specifically, so we're presenting it honestly as a Janus-type figure in the broader Central\/West African tradition rather than naming one people without documentation.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e • **Please bear in mind that colors of products shown may vary slightly from their original color due to monitor display settings or photography studio.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"DE-COR | Globally Inspired","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50661963792621,"sku":"IMG_7713","price":795.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0288\/5256\/files\/IMG_7715_25c711e5-f7c1-4ba9-b208-938ac32ffd13.jpg?v=1789064317","url":"https:\/\/de-cor.com\/products\/early-20th-century-janus-two-faced-carved-figure","provider":"DE-COR | Globally Inspired","version":"1.0","type":"link"}