Mbol Ofika Figure Analysis

The word Mbole means “people of the downstream.” The people of the downstream is a fairly accurate name because the Mbole are located just south of the Congo River. The second largest river in the world covers a vast area of territory and along that territory are people that live above and below the stream. The Lengola, Metoko, and the Yela people just to name a few. These people are very close to one another and although there are differences across each group in areas such as food, culture or lifestyle, one aspect that is similar about these groups is their art. In many societies, especially now a day in the 21st-century art is a subject that has taken a backseat in many schools and in society in general. There are few art classes that

are offered, creativity has decreased, there are more and more questions about what is art when the question should be where is the art because fewer and fewer people make art for a living. Whereas in the Mbole society art is extremely vital to their society and plays a vital role in the way that people of the art behave. A single art sculpture has that much power!
The Mbole Ofika figure is the sculpture that holds the power.

At first glance, the Mbole Ofika figure looks like an ordinary sculpture that anyone can encounter at the local museum, but these figures were made and hold a great value to Mbole society. Also, the figure is tougher to find than one may imagine. The Yela people also have Mbole sculptures but the only difference between their sculpture compared to the Mbole is that theirs has a rounder face, whereas the Mbole’s sculpture has more of a heart shape face. The Mbole Ofika Figure is a 3-dimensional wooden figure that was made in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in central Africa. The University of Iowa happens to have one in its collection. When viewing the figure’s composition it is very hard not to notice the placement and visual elements of its head. The repetition and contrasted elements of the figure’s head are interesting because of the convex and concave patterns with an added spotlight of white pigment. The eyes and the nose are very narrow and the nose of the figure is protruded in the shape of a triangle. Ofika figures are small, light in weight and can be held by just about anyone. The balance of the figure is great and the figure easily stands in place on its two legs when placed down. The contrast in the figure varies from medium to dark brown and sometimes can be as dark as black. The University of Iowa has a black Ofika figure in their

collection.
Boys in this society go through an initiation process before they can be considered young men, between the ages of seven to twelve. This is lead by an important member of the society and the boys go through circumcision, they fast throughout the weeks, they perform ritual purification. The boys also get to learn how the Lilwa language and they learn the value of respecting elders, parents, and women. The boys get introduced to Ofika figures and they get lectured on why it is important to not steal, cheat, or disrespect authority because the punishment for their disobedience may result in death. Art historian Marc Assayag describes the process of hanging on his website, he goes on to write “The condemned had a length of liana placed around the neck, and this in its turn was attached to a springy, bent tree. Once the tree was released, the condemned person's body was catapulted into the air.” These events are extremely dramatic according to Assayag. Furthermore, Assayag summarizes that the boys who are being initiated are introduced early in the process to the figures as they’re getting beat with sticks. The pain that they are enduring at the moment is no comparison to what the future may hold for some of them if they choose to disobey. The message from the Mbole people is very clear: disobedience is not tolerated. The ofika figure represents those who have lost their lives because they acted out. This goes to show just how strong of a significance a single art sculpture can have on an entire group of people. The sculpture also proves that Mbole people value obedience and hold their entire society to high standards. Adultery, stealing, murder among other crimes will not be tolerated by the Mbole government. No questions about it. The figure is placed on the graves of the ones who are deceased and it means a lot to the family of the deceased one because it is a tough death to be hung so for the family to always get a reminder of how that person passed away is something that isn't easy to live with. Not everyone that was hung insured a dishonorable death. For instance, some people are sacrificed in order for the lilwa chief to reach a high status of “isoya,” which means king in their native language.
In other cultures, the only art that comes close to holding as much significant meaning to a group of people to the level that the Mbole sculpture does may be a figure of Jesus Christ on the cross. Christ on the cross symbolizes the death that he paid for our sins, in order for us to understand sin and to understand how to avoid sin there are a set of laws that Christians try to abide, and those laws are known as the 10 Commandments. The 10 commandments serve as a moral compass for many but so too does the Mbole figure because physical death would be the result of disobedience whereas in Christian society spiritual punishment in the after is the result of disobedience. Christianity is a religion that is completely optional in contrast to Mbole culture where boys are forced to go through an initiation process, which they are then introduced to the Ofika figure. Therefore, in conclusion, a single sculpture such as the Mbole sculpture has such a powerful impact on an entire society because it dictates whether people choose to obey or disobey to the rules that are st forth by the people in the village and in other sculpture does art hold more value to a group of people.