file · Web viewMask, Banda type, anthropomorphic face, large nose, series of 2 crests up middle of forehead, upper one largest, bisects domed cranium, ridged horns extend up and

Museum Research African Art: Karen Daly, 27 March 16

1. Banda mask

Banda Mask

This large vertical mask combines features of a human face and those of either a crocodile or shark with teeth bared. It has the tail of a chameleon and the horns and ears of an antelope, as well as features of less identifiable animals.Worn on top of the head, the multi-colored mask is attached to a long, dense skirt of vegetal fibers that covers the body of the wearer. Banda masks are the property of the Simo society, a secret men's association overseeing and regulating fertility and initiation ceremonies. The masks are worn at initiations, harvest celebrations, and other auspicious festivals.

Artist: Nalu (Culture)Medium: Wood, metal, pigmentGeographical Location: GuineaDates: late 19th or early 20th century

Dimensions: 61 1/2 x 15 3/4 x 15 3/8 in. (156.0 x 40.0 x 39.0 cm)Collection: Arts of AfricaMuseum Location: Brooklyn Museum, BMA, SPECIAL EXHIBITION, 1-Rotating 1Q18Accession Number: 58.7

Catalogue Description:Mask, Banda type, anthropomorphic face, large nose, series of 2 crests up middle of forehead, upper one largest, bisects domed cranium, ridged horns extend up and curve slightly inward from above animal-like ears, an open work spiral - starting from back of head - loops around a long ovoid ring starting also above ears. Mouth is cut with teeth both sides, but this is covered by a piece of sheet metal cut open in herring-bone-like pattern. Surfaces are decorated with geometric motifs or stylized designs representing human features, in sunk or raised relief, and incising also used. Mask polychromed white, red, blue, black.

Attribution: Brooklyn Museum Open Collection Database, Collections: Arts of Africa

2. Kuba mask

Mwaash aMbooy Mask

Artist: Kuba (Bushoong subgroup) (Culture)Medium: Hide, paint, plant fibers, textile, shell, glass, wood, hair, feathersGeographical Location: West Kasai Province, Democratic Republic of the CongoDates: late 19th or early 20th centuryDimensions: 22 x 20 x 18 in. (55.9 x 50.8 x 45.7 cm)Collection: Arts of AfricaMuseum Location: Brooklyn Museum, BMA, 5H2, 1GAccession Number: 22.1582

Catalogue Description:Mask of thin parchment, painted. Elaborately trimmed with shell and hair decoration. Shell eyes. The surface is highly decorative, composed of intricately painted geometric designs and geometrically arranged cowrie shells and beads.

One feature, a long strip of beaded decoration extending from the bridge of the nose to the chin is present. Emphasis placed on 2 dimensional surface quality and elaborate polychromy. Condition: Headdress worn and torn.

The mwaash aMbooy mask is emblematic of royal power and prestige for the Kuba kingdom of the central Congo. It represents Woot, the founding hero from whom the Kuba trace their descent, and is worn only by the king (nyim) or by local chiefs. In both its dance and as a sculpture, it is a vision of gravity and composure.


3. Yoruba mask

Mask

We rarely know the names of past African artists, but Ali Amonikoyi is an exception, largely because he was a distinctive artistic innovator. He used metalworking techniques to make objects normally carved in wood and then used these objects in a nontraditional context. Moreover, he produced his works in proximity to colonial officials who observed and recorded his personal and artistic history.Amonikoyi was a Yoruba born in Nigeria who migrated to Togo. There he used ancient brass-casting techniques to make mask forms resembling Yoruba gelede masks. These masks were placed on top of graves as memorials to the deceased, rather than being worn in dance performances.

Artist: Ali AmonikoyiMedium: Copper alloyGeographical Location: Kete Krachi, Volta Region, GhanaDates: ca. 1910

Dimensions: 10 1/2 x 7 1/4 x 5 1/2 in. (26.7 x 18.4 x 14.0 cm)Collection: Arts of AfricaMuseum Location: Brooklyn Museum, BMA, SPECIAL EXHIBITION, 1-Rotating 1Q18Accession Number: 22.1692

Catalogue Description:Mask of male face with beard, elaborate cap, pointed features. Condition: Good.


4. Fang female figure

Figure from a Reliquary Ensemble: Seated FemaleDate: 19th–early 20th centuryGeography: Gabon or Equatorial GuineaCulture: Fang peoples, Okak groupMedium: Wood, metalDimensions: H. 25 3/16 x W. 7 7/8 x D. 6 1/2 in. (64 x 20 x 16.5 cm)Classification: Wood-SculptureCredit Line: The Michael C. Rockefeller Memorial Collection, Gift of Nelson A. Rockefeller, 1965Accession Number: 1978.412.441On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 352

The Fang peoples derive a sense of continuity with their past as well as a communal cohesiveness in the present through an ancestral cult known as bieri. Bieri reliquary figures, such as this 19th century example, embody the qualities that the Fang admire most in people—namely, tranquility, vitality, and the ability to hold opposites in balance. Such wooden figures and heads are placed on top of bark containers that hold the precious relics of important clan ancestors. The carved head or figure mounted on top of the reliquary box guards the sacred contents against the forbidden gaze of women and uninitiated boys. Before being

removed from Africa, such works were invariably separated from the relic containers that they originally enhanced.

This formidable female figure personifies controlled exuberance. Despite her contemplative expression, her being exudes vitality and boundless physical dynamism. The eyes are defined as deeply incised pupils within expansive recesses. These concave passages are echoed in the round at the summit of the forehead by the bold globular projections of the coiffure elements. This regal and original arrangement of hair is highly detailed. Several contiguous crests extend across the crown of the head and are gathered in a single vertical tress at the nape of the neck.

The Fang sculptor, who lucidly articulated this figure as a series of discrete component elements, integrated them masterfully into a seamless form to stunning effect. The pronounced ovoid volume of the head is abruptly juxtaposed with the broad columnar neck. At the outer corner of each eye a deep arc extends to the bridge of the nose. The nostrils are slightly flared, and the open mouth is cast as a broad oval. Especially alluring is the effect of the shimmering highlights that glance off the luminous midnight black wood, which is thoroughly saturated with oil. Another arresting visual accent is provided by the pendent oval breasts. These do not appear as sensuous elements but rather as overt attributes of power. Their formal definition complements the muscular curves of the physiognomy, so that they are echoed in the successively larger cylindrical units of the shoulders, upper arms, and forearms. The arms are bent at the elbows, hands held in front of the body in a pose suggesting arrested animation.

Positioned as freestanding with slightly flexed knees, the figure appears to shift her weight slightly to the proper right side. The fact that she was originally conceived as seated is apparent from the extreme abbreviation of the powerful thighs, when seen frontally, in contrast to the full forms of the elongated calves. On the reverse side the vertical channel of the spine extends the length of the back and intersects with the horizontal passage of the buttocks. The original patrons sought to repair a break to the proper left shoulder b affixing horizontal metal bands with five nails to the front and reverse side. Two brass rings appear around the neck as well as one around the proper left wrist and each ankle.

Attribution: THE METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART’S ONLINE COLLECTIONS DATA BASE, Works of Art: Arts of Africa, Oceana, and The Americas.

5. Yoruba sculpture

Figure of Shango on Horseback

This figure has been attributed to the renowned carver Toibo of the town of Erin. It was probably carved in the 1920s or 1930s for the king of Ede (one of the traditional Yoruba kingdoms), who kept it in a shrine dedicated to the orisha (deity) Shango. Equestrian figures are potent symbols of power in many parts of Africa, where ownership of horses was long restricted to warriors and political leaders. In Yoruba mythology, Shango was both a king (or oba) and the orisha associated with thunder and lightning.

Artist: Yoruba (Culture)Medium: Wood, pigmentGeographical Location: Erin, Osun State, NigeriaDates: early 20th centuryDimensions: 40 x 14 1/2 x 9 in. (101.6 x 36.8 x 22.9 cm)Collection: Arts of AfricaMuseum Location: Brooklyn Museum, BMA, 5H7, TOP

Accession Number: 1992.133.4

Catalogue Description:Figure on horseback, disproportionately larger than horse. Figure's head surmounted by conical coiffure covered with blue pigment; lashes bulge out in relief; arrow- like nose; teeth exposed in open mouth. Series of incised "L" shaped lines at sides of face covering cheeks. Long neck, rounded shoulders, arms at sides bent at elbows. Garment on torso described by series of incised lines: 2 knives oriented horizontally at sides one on either hip. Horse: ears pointed upward at top of head; long face pointed at muzzle; round eyes in relief; striated tail at rear narrows at tip. CONDITION: Figure's arms broken off at level of forearm. Chips off beard P.R. side of face and at front. Piece missing from P.L. side of horses face appears sanded down. Series of parallel splits in wood running across horses neck and back. Light split through P.R. foot. Splits across surface of base. P.L. side, toward back of base: underside has been eaten away by extensive insect damage creating imbalance in figures support. Rectangular white sticker at back of neck (91A144/17).


6. Yoruba crown

Beaded Crown (Ade) of Onijagbo Obasoro Alowolodu, Ã’gÃ²gÃ of Ikere 1890-1928

Artist: Yoruba (Culture)Medium: Basketry, beads, clothGeographical Location: Osun State, NigeriaDates: late 19th centuryDimensions: 37 3/4 x 9 1/2 in. (95.9 x 24.1 cm)Collection: Arts of AfricaMuseum Location: Brooklyn Museum, BMA, SPECIAL EXHIBITION, 1-Rotating 1Q23Accession Number: 70.109.1a-b

Catalogue Description:

Conical basketry frame, covered by stiffened cloth base and embroidered with green, amber, yellow, red, orange, white, royal blue, aqua, and navy blue beads. Top of crown surmounted by detachable bird. Second tier of crown has four standing figures. Third tier has two frontal faces, two equestrian figures, two standing figures. Three attached beaded flaps at rim, decorated with geometric designs. Forth flap, a veil, is open work with frontal face. CONDITION: Veil flap missing beads where joins crown proper. Beads missing from equestrian left standing figure, and four figures of second tier. Flaps and cloth framework is frayed

Even this bead-embroidered crown, the ultimate symbol of Yoruba kingship, is the product of a complex global story. Although the Yoruba have a long history of glassmaking, the large, multicolored ade crown depicts figures wearing bowler hats and contains beads imported by the British in the late nineteenth century into what would soon become the Nigeria colony. The smaller beaded crown, known as an oríkògbòfó, is an evolution of the ade form, but it is modeled after the wig of a British barrister (lawyer), still worn in court today by members of the Nigerian judiciary.


7. BWA maternity figure

Maternity Figure (Bwanga bwa Cibola)Date: 19th–early 20th centuryGeography: Democratic Republic of the CongoCulture: Luluwa peoplesMedium: Wood, metal ringDimensions: H. 9 3/4 x W. 3 x D. 2 1/2 in. (24.8 x 7.6 x 6.4 cm)Classification: Wood-SculptureCredit Line: The Michael C. Rockefeller Memorial Collection, Bequest of Nelson A. Rockefeller, 1979Accession Number: 1979.206.282On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 352

This intricately carved representation of a mother holding her child to her side is a Luluwa maternity figure. The figure belongs to bwanga bwa cibola, a social association or "cult" that addresses issues of human fertility and functions as part of the complex magico-religious world of the Luluwa peoples. Within this world, ritual healers known as mupaki or mpaka manga are endowed with mystical powers and play a vital role in the community by controlling and directing supernatural forces. Procreation is an essential goal in Luluwa society and consequently manga are often called upon to boost fertility and protect pregnant women, newborns, and small children. Manga utilize power objects, or bwanga,

as containers and focal points of supernatural forces. The shape of the bwanga and the materials of which they are made vary greatly; many are natural, unworked objects such as gourds or animal horns, while others take the form of wooden anthropomorphic representations such as this example from the Museum's collection.

The rendering of the mother figure conforms to accepted notions of beauty in Luluwa culture. Female beauty is an essential element in the ability to attract the ancestral spirits; it serves as an invitation to the ancestral spirits to inhabit the sculpture and thus exercise a positive influence on pregnancy, birth, and the health of the newborn. The figure's long neck and muscular limbs express positive aesthetic values. The concentric lines on the neck are either scarification patterns (nsalu) or necklaces, or possibly both. Luluwa women of status would often wear necklaces of blue and white beads to signify their rank. The large head and high forehead are indicators of beauty that also symbolize intelligence and willpower. The strong calves of the figure suggest a capacity for hard work, a quality much sought after by men when choosing a partner. The coiffure, jewelry, and extensive scarification patterns make apparent that this figure represents not only a beautiful woman, but one of high rank as well. The Luluwa associate body decoration with the unified notion of physical and moral beauty, in effect combining Western concepts of "beauty" and "good." At the same time, the nsalu are also a reference to human or cultural beauty, that is, beauty created by humans themselves. The coiffure depicted on this figure dates to the nineteenth century and consists of a vegetable-fiber wig, rows of cowrie shells woven into the hair at the back of the head, and a pointed shape at the top. Another significant characteristic of this figure is the protruding navel, which depicts the once highly coveted umbilical hernia. The navel symbolizes the close relationship between ancestors and progeny and also alludes to the succession of generations. The detailed depiction of a shell pendant between the shoulder blades of the figure is a direct reference to the cibola cult, as are the sculpted renderings of the loincloth and belt.

The anthropomorphic conventions of this figure place it within a particular context of the artistic and sociopolitical history of the Luluwa peoples. Refined, intricately carved figures such as this are rare within the bwanga repertoire; most other examples are simpler, roughly hewn, and classified as "schematic." Scholars believe that the relatively "naturalistic" carving style was developed after the "schematic" style sometime during the mid- to late nineteenth century. It also appears that refined figures such as this belonged principally to a restricted class of women in positions of authority, which may also explain why such bwanga are so rare. The Luluwa were originally composed of a number of egalitarian groups. By the end of the nineteenth century, however, an unofficial but nonetheless very real class distinction had emerged in various regions of Luluwa territory. Naturalistic cibola figures, as much status symbols as ritual objects, are a likely result of this development. The production of naturalistic bwanga ended during the early twentieth century, when colonial powers subjugated the territory and

curbed the power of the Luluwa elite. The most important factor contributing to the rarity of such pieces in Western collections remains the fact that most users did not preserve their bwanga. Manga and practitioners of cibola usually destroyed all their paraphernalia once their membership in the cult had ceased, and many other bwanga were placed at the grave or buried along with their owners.

Attribution: THE METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART’S ONLINE COLLECTIONS DATA BASE, Works of Art: Arts of Africa, Oceana, and The Americas.

8. Dogon Koro player

Figure of a Seated Musician (Koro Player)

This figure is depicted playing a kora, a harp like instrument found in many parts of West Africa. The instrument, held between the performer's knees, has a hollow sound box and a long, thin neck (the neck on this kora is broken). Among the Dogon and many other groups in West Africa, professional kora players perform at weddings, funerals, and other important events, where they sing praises and recount family histories. This figure was probably placed in a shrine symbolically, to praise and tell the histories of a family's deceased ancestors.

Artist: Dogon (Culture)Medium: Wood, ironGeographical Location: Central northern Bandiagara escarpment, Mopti Region, MaliDates: late 18th centuryDimensions: 22 x 7 x 4 1/4 in. (55.8 x 17.7 x 10.8 cm)Collection: Arts of Africa

Museum Location: Brooklyn Museum, BMA, SPECIAL EXHIBITION, 1-Rotating 1Q18Accession Number: 61.2

Catalogue Description:Seated male figure holding a koro (rectangular shaped instrument) with extensions on top and bottom. Figure has a long cylindrical torso and neck; wears a necklace with two suspended bells. Distinct arrow-form nose, segmented coiffure, beard.

This figure wears a necklace called a korte. Consisting of a series of packets containing verses from the Qur’an, the korte is worn for protection—indicating the influence of Islam even among the Dogon, a largely non-Islamic people.


Documents

file · Web viewMask, Banda type, anthropomorphic face, large nose, series of 2 crests up middle of forehead, upper one largest, bisects domed cranium, ridged horns extend up and