Object Details
- Label Text
- In Ekonda, Nkundu and related communities, jewelry served as both a stylish accessory and an indicator of status and wealth. Due to their weight, shape and material, these massive adornments verify their owner had the means to avoid physical labor. To create these hefty forms, the artist poured molten metal directly into a cast in the ground, called a puddle mold. As the metal cooled, it was formed into a circular shape and often fitted directly to the wearer's body. The outside surface was then burnished and polished.
- Description
- C-shaped anklet with rough interior and exterior with parallel incised lines.
- Provenance
- Allen C. Davis, Alexandria, Virginia, acquired Côte d'Ivoire, 1960 to 2002
- Exhibition History
- African Mosaic: Selections from the Permanent Collection, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., November 19, 2013–August 12, 2019 (deinstalled July 8, 2019)
- African Mosaic: Celebrating a Decade of Collecting, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., November 19, 2010-November 13, 2013
- African Brilliance: Sixty Years of Collecting African Art, The Palmer Museum of Art at Penn State University, University Park, February 9-May 24, 2020
- Content Statement
- 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 Please note that some records are incomplete (missing image or content descriptions) and others reflect out-of-date language or systems of thought regarding how to engage with and discuss cultural heritage and the specifics of individual artworks.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.
- Image Requests
- 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/
- Data Source
- National Museum of African Art
- Maker
- Nkundu artist
- Date
- Mid-20th century
- Credit Line
- Gift of Allen Clayton Davis
- Medium
- Copper alloy
- Dimensions
- H x W x D: 10.5 x 14.7 x 15.5 cm (4 1/8 x 5 13/16 x 6 1/8 in.)
- Type
- Jewelry
