Object Details
- Label Text
- Time Life photographer Eliot Elisofon photographed a group of Kyaman smiths at work crafting gold pendants in Anna Village, in 1972. Threads of wax were applied over a thin clay base to form the pendant. The wax surface was brushed with leaf juice to clean it and a mold was formed. Gold was then poured into the mold, which was broken after the metal had cooled. After documenting the entire process, he purchased this pendant and later gifted it to the National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution.
- Description
- Cast gold alloy pendant in the form of a human face of horizontal wax thread construction with triangle cut outs on cheeks, half circle mouth and triangle cut out on the forehead.
- Provenance
- Eliot Elisofon, New York, acquired Anna village, 1972 to 1973
- Exhibition History
- Africa ReViewed: The Photographic Legacy of Eliot Elisofon, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., November 21, 2013-December 14, 2014
- The Art of African Currency, International Monetary Fund, Washington, D.C., April 4-November 22, 2002
- The Ancient West African City of Benin, A.D. 1300-1897, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., September 28, 1987-June 1, 2004
- Published References
- Park, Edwards. 1983. Treasures of the Smithsonian. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Books, p. 387.
- Staples, Amy J. 2014. "Africa ReViewed: The Photographic Legacy of Eliot Elisofon." Tribal Art 19 (2), no. 71, p. 92, no. 24 (field photograph).
- 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 Please note that some records are incomplete (missing image or content descriptions) and others reflect out-of-date language or systems of thought regarding how to engage with and discuss cultural heritage and the specifics of individual artworks.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
- Kyaman artist
- Date
- 1972
- Credit Line
- Bequest of Eliot Elisofon
- Medium
- Gold alloy
- Dimensions
- H x W x D: 8.8 x 5.6 x 2.1 cm (3 7/16 x 2 3/16 x 13/16 in.)
- Type
- Jewelry
