Object Notes

This heavy, hollow hinged anklet is decorated with chased and punched (hammered) motifs. In Oman, a powerful Islamic empire from the 17th to the 19th century, pairs of anklets were given to pubescent girls by their fathers and worn until they were married.

Respectfully kneeling and holding a bowl, this type of female figure represents an olumeye, "one who knows honor." She wears an intricately braided irun agogo hairstyle that was worn by recent brides and priestesses devoted to particular

This staff is an emblem of status for a mwanangana (lord of the land) or mwata munene (paramount chief.) An ancestral chief's head carved in full relief sits atop a panel (his torso) with incised geometric designs that are dif

The head of this female figure is slightly turned, departing from the traditional African norm of depicting humans or animals in a full frontal, static manner. In the absence of field-collection documentation, it is not possible to know whether this is a religious or secular object. 

Worn atop the head of a male dancer, this ere Gelede depicts a human face with barlike scarification filled with dark pigment. The arc of each ear is pierced and holds a cylindrical ornament, while rounded forms project from the earlobes.

This low, saddle-shaped stool (ebonga) was considered a status symbol in Ngala society. By definition, prestige objects are made of expensive materials and require a specialist to make them.

Elaborate surface decoration distinguishes this vessel as Bozo-Somono. Before firing, it was embellished with raised bands and incised and impressed geometric motifs, and was then painted with a red slip (liquid clay mixture).

Traditional African currency took many forms, such as utilitarian objects and weapons. This example replicates the form of a long-handled, forged iron hoe, a historically important metal tool used to till the earth. As currency, "hoe money" was exchanged for goods and services or used as bridewealth.

Baule notables act as the leaders and representatives for groups of independent Baule villages. Each of these individuals owns several fly whisks that serve as staffs of office.