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 More often than not, objects can be more complex than they appear, prompting curators and conservators to ask questions about attribution, function and structure. Unfamiliar with wrapped Bembe objects, curator Bryna Freyer questioned the figure's attribution and intended function. Was it truly an artwork of the Bembe peoples? Or, was it carved by neighboring peoples? Had it always been an nkisi? Or, had its function changed sometime in its history?
Freyer turned to conservator Dana Moffett to confirm or refute her suppositions. By x-raying objects, conservators can view their inner structures, uncover old restorations, identify materials, document the conditions and resolve treatment issues.  |
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Reliquary Guardian Figures | Masks of Gabon and the Congo | Status and Power | Divination and Spiritual Power | Figurative Sculpture | Beneath the Surface |
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