Object Details
- Label Text
- Shaped like bovine horns, these rings are essentially an ode to cattle. Several eastern African groups traditionally ordered their life around their herds--the cattle determined age grades, wealth and the society's structure. Expressions of admiration for the venerated animal included physically changing the shape of the cow's horns, creating poetry about the ox or giving jewelry to both people and cattle.
- Description
- Ivory ring with projecting U horns.
- Provenance
- Eliot Elisfon, New York, collected Sudan, 1947 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
- Artful Animals, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., July 1, 2009-July 25, 2010
- Treasures 2008, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., April 9-August 24, 2008
- Published References
- Patton, Sharon F. and Bryna Freyer. 2008. Treasures 2008. Washington, D.C.: National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, pp. 104-105.
- 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 Please note that some records are incomplete (missing image or content descriptions) and others reflect out-of-date language or systems of thought regarding how to engage with and discuss cultural heritage and the specifics of individual artworks.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
- Dinka artist
- Date
- Early to mid-20th century
- Credit Line
- Bequest of Eliot Elisofon
- Medium
- Ivory
- Dimensions
- H x W x D: 3.8 x 2.2 x 0.6 cm (1 1/2 x 7/8 x 1/4 in.)
- Type
- Jewelry
