Object Details
- Label Text
- Ivory pendants are miniature versions of a kind of mask used in initiation retreats. Pendants were also made of wood, bone and palm nut; today they are also made of aluminum. Worn around the neck, they function as protective and healing amulets.
- Description
- Ivory pendant in dark golden color with triangular-shaped face, three point hairstyle, slanted brows and eyes with holes. Traces of pigment (camwood and/or resin) are visible in the recessed areas.
- Provenance
- Emile M. Deletaille, Brussels, -- to 1985
- Exhibition History
- 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. 82-83.
- 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 Please note that some records are incomplete (missing image or content descriptions) and others reflect out-of-date language or systems of thought regarding how to engage with and discuss cultural heritage and the specifics of individual artworks.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
- Pende artist
- Date
- Late 19th-early 20th century
- Credit Line
- Museum purchase
- Medium
- Ivory
- Dimensions
- H x W x D: 3.8 x 3 x 3 cm (1 1/2 x 1 3/16 x 1 3/16 in.)
- Type
- Jewelry
