The Idol Maker
Entry ID
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72 (20/01/2022)
Formal title of the work
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The Idol Maker
Description of the sculpture
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A bronze statuette depicting an African (possibly Congolese) artist/artisan.
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: 61 cm
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Width: 30.5 cm
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Depth: 31.8 cm
Materials
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Bronze
Specific techniques used
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Casting
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Patination
Overall colour
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Monochrome – black
Inscriptions
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Bottom of rock beneath left foot: 'Herbert Ward'
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Stamped on right of base: 'Jaboeuf and Rouard Fondeurs'
Does the Black person have a specific identity?
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Anonymous: specific individual but not currently identifiable
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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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Free citizen
Clothing
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Naked
Evidence of enslavement
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None
Evidence of 'exotic' status
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Other
Action or activity
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Working
Emotional state
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Indeterminate
Focus of gaze of Black person
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Looking downwards
Sculptural context
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Rural: Indigenous
Sculptor
Place of production
Period of production
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Twentieth century (1900-1999)
Date of Production
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1910
Date inferred from
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Recorded in related documentation
Original purpose
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Unknown
Original display setting
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Unknown
Current owner
Current / most recently known location
Accession number
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A 320
Provenance history
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1921: gifted to the National Museum Cardiff by Mrs Herbert Ward
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c. 1910 - 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 |
|---|---|---|
 Head – An Aruwimi type |
Associated with | E22 Man-Made Object |
http://13.41.147.145/s/database/item/601, . (no date) ‘The Idol Maker’, Black People in European Sculpture, accessed May 5, 2025, http://13.41.147.145/s/database/item/611
