Wooden statue showing childbirth, Angola, 1801-1900

Wooden statue, depicting child-birth, from Angola, Bazombo tribe

Carved from wood, this statue shows a woman giving birth standing up. A gourd is suspended from a cord around her waist. Carvings that depict childbirth are rare in Angola, where this statue was made. Many spiritual agencies are invoked to promote healthy childbirth and most woman-and-child imagery is created for this purpose.