Head – An Aruwimi type
Entry ID
-
71 (20/01/2022)
Formal title of the work
-
Head – An Aruwimi type
Description of the sculpture
-
A bronze bust of a man with plaited hair, pierced ears and scarification marks on his forehead displayed on a black wooden base. Herbert Ward incorporated cultural features of the Aruwimi people from the Congo with the facial features of a Black model based in France.
URLs where this is recorded/available
Type of object
-
Bust – Portrait
Base
-
Base present - appears to be the original base
Dimensions
-
Height: 40 cm
-
Width: 25.5 cm
-
Depth: 24.1 cm
-
Height (base): 11 cm
-
Width (base): 25.5 cm
-
Depth (base): 25.5 cm
Materials
-
Bronze
Specific techniques used
-
Casting
-
Patination
Overall colour
-
Monochrome – black
Does the Black person have a specific identity?
-
Anonymous: specific individual but not currently identifiable
Role within sculpture
-
Main protagonist
Gender
-
Male
Age
-
Adult
Status
-
Free citizen
Clothing
-
No clothes included (head)
Evidence of enslavement
-
None
Evidence of 'exotic' status
-
Other
Action or activity
-
Not relevant (head)
Emotional state
-
Neutral/emotionless
Focus of gaze of Black person
-
Looking outwards (engaging viewer)
Sculptural context
-
No location included/implied
Sculptor
Place of production
Period of production
-
Nineteenth century (1800-1899)
-
Twentieth century (1900-1999)
Date of Production
-
c. 1901
Date inferred from
-
Recorded in related documentation
Original purpose
-
Unknown
Original display setting
-
Unknown
Current owner
Current / most recently known location
Accession number
-
A 308
Provenance history
-
1921: gifted to the National Museum Cardiff by Mrs Herbert Ward
-
c. 1901 - 1921: in possession of the artist's estate
Associated with
Current rights holder
License terms for reuse
Linked resources
Filter by property
| Title | Alternate label | Class |
|---|---|---|
 The Idol Maker |
Associated with | E22 Man-Made Object |
http://13.41.147.145/s/database/item/601, . (no date) ‘Head – An Aruwimi type’, Black People in European Sculpture, accessed May 5, 2025, http://13.41.147.145/s/database/item/602
