<I>Pure Plantainum</I>
date: label: Date
content: 2006
name: label: Created by
content: Miguel Luciano, born 1972
notes: label: Caption
content: This plantain sculpture is a casing of a plantain made with urethane (or polyurethane) resin which is then casted in platinum for durability, differing from other sculptures in Miguel Luciano's series Pure Plantainum that encase real plantains. With its metallic tint of silver, the sculpture has preserved the curves and details of the fruit.
label: Caption
content: The thick, silver curb chain necklace was added to create an interactive art piece, as seen in the image Platáno Pride (NMAAHC 2021.70.2). Serving as a jewelry piece, it is reflective of hip-hop fashion, hip-hop culture as Latinx-inclusive, and a visible, conspicuous way to hold pride of Caribbean Latinx identity. Plátano, or plantain, is a fruit commonly consumed in the Caribbean but has historically also been tied to derogatory terms regarding immigration, race, and class. Caribbean Latinx communities have since reclaimed the word.
label: Description
content: A plantain sculpture cast in platinum and presented as a pendant on a sterling silver curb chain.
place: label: Cultural Place
content: Caribbean, Latin America
label: Place depicted
content: Brooklyn, New York City, Kings County, New York, United States, North and Central America
topic: label: Topic
content: African American
label: Topic
content: African diaspora
label: Topic
content: Art
label: Topic
content: Foodways
label: Topic
content: Hip-hop (Music)
label: Topic
content: Identity
label: Topic
content: Immigration
label: Topic
content: Migrations
setName: label: See more items in
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
label: Portfolio/Series
content: Pure Plantainium
label: Classification
content: Visual Arts
label: Movement
content: Nuyorican Movement
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture purchased with funds provided by the Smithsonian Latino Initiatives Pool, administered by the Smithsonian Latino Center
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture
identifier: label: Object number
content: 2021.70.1
objectType: label: Type
content: necklaces
label: Type
content: pendants (jewelry)
label: Type
content: sculpture
objectRights: label: Restrictions & Rights
content: © Miguel Luciano
label: Restrictions & Rights
content: Permission required for use. Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
physicalDescription: label: Medium
content: polyurethane encased in platinum with sterling silver in Plexiglas with synthetic fiber
label: Dimensions
content: H x W x D (pendant and chain): 16 × 12 × 3 in. (40.6 × 30.5 × 7.6 cm)
label: Dimensions
content: H x W x D (plexiglass vitrine): 20 × 16 × 6 in. (50.8 × 40.6 × 15.2 cm)