figure (communication artefact)

Red pottery Nativity figure of Joseph kneeling, attribute missing from his hand, probably a staff, with 'Flora' engraved on base (name of artist).

This kneeling figure is sculpted from clay and was purchased as part of a set of Nativity figures in the early 1990s. It probably depicts Joseph, shown with one hand placed on his chest. It comes from Amukura, an Iteso village in South-West Kenya, on the border with Uganda. The whole set was made by a local artist, Mama Flora Lagola. The first mission to Amukura was the Catholic Mill Hill Mission, which travelled from London to Kenya in 1937.

Collection Information

These objects are only a part of our collections, of which there are more than 350,000 objects. This information comes from our collections database. Some of this is incomplete and there may be errors. This part of the website is also still under construction, so there may be some fields repeated or incorrectly formatted information.

The database retains language taken from historical documents to help research. Please note that some records may feature language and reflect systems of thinking that are outdated and offensive. The database also includes information on objects that are considered secret or sacred by some communities.

If you have any further information about objects in our collections, can suggest corrections to our information or if you see content requiring immediate action, please contact us: enquiry@horniman.ac.uk