Bracelet
date: label: Date
content: 16th century
name: label: Maker
content: Yoruba artist
notes: label: Label Text
content: The artist's technical virtuosity is evident in this extraordinary armlet carved from one piece of ivory. The motifs on the outer interlocking piece include kneeling hunchbacks holding tethered creatures. Hunchbacks are regarded as touched by the god Obatala who shapes the human form in the womb. White is the symbolic color of Obatala and may tie in with the use of ivory for this bracelet. The theme of ritual offerings is suggested by the disembodied heads within the interlocking circles of crocodiles biting the heads and tails of mudfish and by the tethered creatures. These creatures have been described as monkeys however they resemble Ofoe, the messenger of the god of death in the Benin Kingdom, who has no body only a head and arms and legs.
label: Description
content: Ivory bracelet with entire surface carved with human-like figures, heads and animals in high relief on a background of fine lattice rectangular panels. Ivory bead-like additions hang from the carved rings to the side and to each end.
label: Provenance
content: Harry G. Beasley (1882-1939), Cranmore Ethnographical Museum, Chislehurst, Kent, England, -- to 1975
label: Provenance
content: Paul and Ruth Tishman, New York, 1975 to 1984
label: Exhibition History
content: Visionary: Viewpoints on Africa's Arts, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., November 4, 2017-ongoing
label: Exhibition History
content: The Walt Disney-Tishman African Art Collection Highlights, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., May 21, 2009-June 4, 2014
label: Exhibition History
content: African Vision: The Walt Disney-Tishman African Art Collection, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., February 15, 2007-March 31, 2009
label: Exhibition History
content: First Look: The Walt Disney-Tishman Collection of African Art, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., May 17-December 3, 2006
label: Exhibition History
content: Art of the Personal Object, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., September 24, 1991-April 9, 2007
label: Exhibition History
content: African Ivories. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, June 26, 1984-December 30, 1984
label: Exhibition History
content: For Spirits and Kings: African Art from the Paul and Ruth Tishman Collection, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 1981
label: Published References
content: Akpata, Chief Akitola. 1938. "Benin: Letters to the Editor, no. 1." Ethnologie Cranmorensis 2, p. 23, no. 12.
label: Published References
content: Hornbeck, Stephanie. 2016. "Ivory: I dentification and Regulation of a Precious Material." National Museum of African Art Conservation Lab publication. p.1,4.
label: Published References
content: Eicher, Joanne B. and Doran H. Ross. 2010. Encyclopedia of World Dress and Fashion: Africa (vol. 1). Oxford University Press, p. 97.
label: Published References
content: Eyo, Ekpo. 2008. From Shrines to Shocases: Masterpieces of Nigerian Art. Abuja, Nigeria: The Ministry of Information and Communicaton, pp. 108-109, no. 63.
label: Published References
content: Ezra, Kate. 1984. African Ivories. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, p. 22, fig. 18-19, cat. no.24.
label: Published References
content: Graves Son & Pilcher. 1975. The Collection of Tibetan ritual art, Oceanic, Haida, Eskimo, Benin, Maori and Asian artifacts formally at the Cranmore Ethnographical Museum, Chislehurst, Kent, formed by the late Harry G. Beasley, 1882-1939 ... 3rd March 1975. Palmeira Auction Room, Hove. Brighton: Dolphin Press, lot 216.
label: Published References
content: Patton, Sharon F. 2005. "Disney-Tishman: Gift to the Smithsonian Institution." Tribal Art X:2 (39), p. 63, no. 3.
label: Published References
content: Patton, Sharon F. and Bryna Freyer. 2008. Treasures 2008. Washington D.C.: National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, pp. 40-41.
label: Published References
content: Robbins, Warren and Nancy I. Nooter. 1989. African Art in American Collections. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press, p. 228, no. 584.
label: Published References
content: Ross, Doran (ed). 1992. Elephant: The Animal and Its Ivory in African Culture. Los Angeles: Fowler Museum of Cultural History, University of California, p. 201, no. 9-18A, B.
label: Published References
content: Vogel, Susan (ed). 1981. For Spirits and Kings: African Art from the Paul and Ruth Tishman Collection. New York: Metropolitan Museum of Art, pp. 128-130, no. 72.
label: Content Statement
content: As part of our commitment to accessibility and transparency, the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art is placing its collection records online. Please note that some records are incomplete (missing image or content descriptions) and others reflect out-of-date language or systems of thought regarding how to engage with and discuss cultural heritage and the specifics of individual artworks. If you see content requiring immediate action, we will do our best to address it in a timely manner. Please email nmafacuratorial@si.edu if you have any questions.
label: Image Requests
content: High resolution digital images are not available for some objects. For publication quality photography and permissions, please contact the Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives at https://africa.si.edu/research/eliot-elisofon-photographic-archives/
place: label: Geography
content: Owo, Nigeria
topic: label: Topic
content: crocodile
label: Topic
content: Leadership
label: Topic
content: mudfish
label: Topic
content: male
setName: label: See more items in
content: National Museum of African Art Collection
label: Exhibition
content: Visionary: Viewpoints on Africa's Arts
label: On View
content: NMAfA, Second Level Gallery (2193)
label: On View
content: NMAfA, South Gallery (1141)
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Gift of Walt Disney World Co., a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of African Art
identifier: label: Object number
content: 2005-6-8
objectType: label: Type
content: Jewelry
objectRights: label: Restrictions & Rights
content: CC0
physicalDescription: label: Medium
content: Ivory
label: Dimensions
content: H x W x D: 14.5 x 10.5 x 10.5 cm (5 11/16 x 4 1/8 x 4 1/8 in.)