Couple. Culture: Sakalava peoples. Dimensions: H. 39 in. (99.06 cm). Date: 17th-late 18th century.This Madagascar couple ranks as the foremost artistic achievement of a region where African and Pacific Island influences meet. It was created by a Sakalava artist in western Madagascar to grace the pinnacle of a "hazomanga," a tall wooden monument set in a place of honor near the house of a clan elder. It constituted the focal point for prayers, sacrifices, and boys' circumcision ceremonies. Measuring around six feet in height, the hazomanga was a striking element of the architectural landscape and a potent reminder of kinship, both past and present.Set side by side, these figures engage the viewer with their intense expressions and deeply recessed eyes. Their subtle stylization simultaneously unifies them and amplifies what makes them different, producing an eloquent statement on the fundamental complementarity of man and woman. As the centerpiece of circumcision rights performed to pr