Gift of Benita Baird and Ron Barab
The Loma are a people who reside in Africa, on the border of Liberia and Guinea. This Loma figure seems unassuming at first glance, with its serene expression and oblong facial features. However, through X-ray and XRF analysis (X-ray fluorescence) used to determine the elemental composition, NCMA conservators discovered that this female figure holds more than the eye can see. A maskette, or small face mask, was found hidden within the figure’s belly, nestled behind neat rows of cowrie shells. The maskette contains high levels of zinc and manganese (rather than being made from wood). Zinc is a precious material used in trade in Liberia, and cowrie shells are a valuable commodity. This figure is literally pregnant with wealth and prosperity—what’s inside may be much more important than the figure itself!
The surface of the sculpture’s belly, which is loosely hidden by a piece of burlap, is covered with a buildup of mostly organic materials. These materials indicate medicinal or ritual applications that are commonly associated with artworks called “power objects.” Charged by ritual specialists, the power object would temporarily “work” for living individuals or for a specific purpose, such as protection or a cure.
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