Object Details
- Label Text
- Among the Senufo, cast-metal or wooden staffs depicting birds with extended wings were presented to the winners of agricultural competitions. Possession of such staffs identified young men as champion cultivators.
- Description
- Cast copper alloy finial in the form of a bird with outstretched wings and a triangular tail with rectangular openwork band at the end. The finial also has wattles and a comb with five projections.
- Provenance
- Philip Ravenhill and Judith Timyan, Washington, D.C., -- to 1992
- Exhibition History
- BIG/small, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., January 17-July 23, 2006
- 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 Please note that some records are incomplete (missing image or content descriptions) and others reflect out-of-date language or systems of thought regarding how to engage with and discuss cultural heritage and the specifics of individual artworks.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
- Senufo artist
- Date
- Early to mid-20th century
- Credit Line
- Gift of Philip L. Ravenhill and Judith Timyan
- Medium
- Copper alloy
- Dimensions
- H x W x D: 9 x 7 x 4.1 cm (3 9/16 x 2 3/4 x 1 5/8 in.)
- Type
- Sculpture
