Wood - Central African Republic - 20th century

To the Makonde, “Ujamaa” roughly means community/family bond. Such images often depict a family tree or the connectedness of generations.

Hand-carved;
probably from ebony or a heavy dark hardwood;
presumably made between the 1960s and 1990s for export/tourist art markets;
clearly better crafted than the cheap souvenirs you often see.

The height of 77 cm makes it a fairly large piece. That increases both its decorative and collectible value.

The style sits somewhere between:

Ujamaa / Tree of Life (family figures around a trunk),
and light Shetani influences (expressive heads and distorted features).

the fine cross- and line-patterns on the body;
the typical Makonde hair structures;
the open spaces between the figures (technically difficult to carve without breakage).
Beautiful, hand-carved ebony sculpture, 77 cm high. This artwork showcases an impressive collection of faces and figures, skillfully carved from a single block of wood.