Object Details
- Label Text
- This stool is one of two field collected by photographer Eliot Elisofon in Medje village, Congo (Democratic Republic) in 1970. He was documenting the chief's wife getting a traditional hairstyle. The elderly woman creating the basketweave style was seated on one stool, while the other was in the background by the house door.
- Description
- Wood stool with round top and base on a spherical support. Incised crosshatching decorates the edge of the top and the center sphere. Plant fiber strap hangs through a triangular hole on the top.
- Provenance
- Eliot Elisofon, New York, 1970 to 1973, collected in area of Isiro, Zaire in March 1970
- 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 Please note that some records are incomplete (missing image or content descriptions) and others reflect out-of-date language or systems of thought regarding how to engage with and discuss cultural heritage and the specifics of individual artworks.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
- Mangbetu artist
- Date
- Mid-20th century
- Credit Line
- Bequest of Eliot Elisofon
- Medium
- Wood, plant fiber
- Dimensions
- H x W x D: 40.3 x 44.8 x 44.8 cm (15 7/8 x 17 5/8 x 17 5/8 in.)
- Type
- Decorative Arts
