A slender woman stands with both arms raised to steady a flared bowl on her head, her long ringed neck carrying the line straight up from narrow shoulders. This vintage African carved wood figure is finished in two tones, with a warm, polished red-brown on the face, arms and legs and a deep black on the torso and hips. A braided cap of fine crosshatched lines frames her calm, closed-eyed face, and her small feet rest on a rounded base. Standing figures that carry a vessel on the head echo the bowl bearers of the Luba and neighboring peoples of Congo, where the bowl is linked to healing, fortune and the nurturing role of women.

It comes on a custom stand, so it stands on its own at 19 inches tall with a footprint of only 4.5 inches square. That slim shape suits a bookshelf, a desk, a console or a mantel, where the two-tone glow of the wood stands out against pale walls and books.

• Era: Vintage
• Origin: Africa
• Material: Carved wood, custom stand
• Size: 4.5"(W) x 4.5"(D) x 19"(H), including stand
• Color: Red-brown and black
• Condition: Wear consistent with age and use, part of its character and historical value. Worn patina and fine age lines in the wood. Custom stand included.

This vintage African carved wood bowl bearer figure is a standing woman with raised arms, a ringed neck and a flared bowl on her head, finished in red-brown and black. It is mounted on a custom stand and measures 4.5 inches wide, 4.5 inches deep and 19 inches tall including the stand. It suits a bookshelf, desk, console or mantel.

Q: What is a bowl bearer figure in African art?
A: A bowl bearer is a sculpture of a woman holding or carrying a vessel, a genre best known from the Luba and neighboring peoples of Congo. The bowl held white clay used in healing and divination, and the figure also honors the nurturing role of women.

Q: How do you style a small figure on a stand on a shelf?
A: Give it its own spot at eye level with open space on both sides, and keep the surroundings simple, with a few neutral books or a plain vase nearby. The stand lifts the figure so its slim outline reads clearly against the wall.

**Please bear in mind that colors of products shown may vary slightly from their original color due to monitor display settings or photography studio