Kneeling Figure of an Enslaved African
Entry ID
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9 (04/01/2022)
Formal title of the work
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Kneeling Figure of an Enslaved African
Description of the sculpture
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A bronze statuette of a semi-kneeling enslaved African man, nude except for a short skirt, with hands clasped and raised in a pleading position depicted wearing manacles and chains. The statuette is case on an integral base, modelled and coloured to resemble muddy terrain.
URLs where this is recorded/available
Type of object
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Statuette
Base
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Base present - appears to be the original base
Dimensions
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Height: 12 cm
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Width: 9 cm
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Depth: 4 cm
Materials
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Metal (unidentified)
Specific techniques used
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Casting
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Patination
Overall colour
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Polychrome
Inscriptions
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Top of base, right: 'AM I NOT A MAN AND A BROTHER? '
Does the Black person have a specific identity?
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Anonymous: generic/idealised type
Role within sculpture
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Main protagonist
Gender
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Male
Age
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Adult
Status
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Enslaved
Clothing
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Partially clothed
Evidence of enslavement
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Manacles with/without chains
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Shackles with/without chains
Action or activity
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Begging/pleading
Emotional state
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Desperate
Focus of gaze of Black person
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Looking upwards
Sculptural context
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No location included/implied
Period of production
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Nineteenth century (1800-1899)
Date of Production
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c. 1820
Date inferred from
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Inferred from stylistic features
Original purpose
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Didactic / Propagandistic
Original display setting
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Unknown
Current owner
Current / most recently known location
Accession number
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ZBA2479
Provenance history
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2002: acquired by the National Maritime Museum as part of the Michael Graham-Stewart Slavery Collection
Notes
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This figure is part of the Michael Graham-Stewart Slavery Collection, which was acquired by the National Maritime Museum in 2002 with the assistance of the Heritage Lottery Fund.
Current rights holder
License terms for reuse
‘Kneeling Figure of an Enslaved African’ (no date), Black People in European Sculpture, accessed May 5, 2025, http://13.41.147.145/s/database/item/203
