Mamiwata Supplicant Doll

Mamiwata, or Mammy Waters, is a shared deity across Africa and its diasporic cultures. While the goddess of water and healing was a popular sculptural form, this was most likely a sculpture of one of her supplicants. Made in the mid-20th century, the colonial influence can be seen in the thicker limbs and features than were normally featured in these sculptures. At this time many African crafstpeople made figures that called out the oppressive cultural impositions Europeans brought with them.