Gallery Treasures Winter 2022
Such wicker-covered shields were carried by the Ganda/Baganda/Waganda north of lake Victoria and by the Basoga in Uganda. Among the shields from this region, this is one of the most striking. Wicker shields were made of lightweight wood stitched together with twine from a climbing plant. It has horizontal lines running from the rim to the middle of the shield. The handle on the inner side has bent wooden sticks tied together my fiber strings. Wicker shields display the high artistic quality of their workmanship and their elegance. Shields among African cultures were used in different ways. Used during initiation of young boys, ritual ceremonies and of course in wars. Since they were always in armed conflicts with each other. This is an old shield with visible traces of usage around the handle. Material: Lightwood and wicker, Fiber strings, Age: Approximately 50-60 yrs, Origin: Uganda
Ganda Shield, Uganda, East Africa 1st half 20th century. Ht. 28.7"
In the royal kingdom of Benin, cylindrical "altars to the hand," or ikegobo, are created to celebrate a person's accomplishments and successes. Ikegobo are dedicated to the hand, the aspect of an individual's being associated with action and the initiation of change which is at the root of one's achievements. ex Pitt Rivers Museum Collection Ex Mert Simpson 19th century, Nigeria
Japanese Edo Period (1615-1867) iron devil mask part of a set of armor
Central Veracruz, Veracruz, East Coast Mexico, Mesoamerica, Late Classic AD 600 - 900, Ht. 23 1/4”, Boeckman Coll. Dallas. Condition - Good with repaired breaks.
“Sikyatki Polychrome was defined by Hargrave (1932). This type was produced in the Hopi region and may have been occasionally traded to areas outside this region. Forms exhibiting characteristics for Sikyatki Polychrome appear to have produced from about A.D. 1375 to 1625.
Pottery assigned to this type is similar to Jeddito Yellow with the addition of decorations in both red as well as black pigment. Paste and surfaces are creamy yellow color (Colton 1956; Hargrave 1932; Hays 1991). Temper consists of extremely fine quartz sand that appears to represent natural clay inclusions. Decorated surfaces are not slipped but are highly polished. Vessel forms are primarily represented by bowls and dippers with rare examples of jars. Decorations are applied in both a black iron-manganese and red iron oxide pigments. Overall quality and execution of designs varies considerably. Decorations are applied on jar exteriors and usually bowl interiors and exteriors. Design styles on early forms of is characterized by the addition of red (sometimes watery) paint to outline black geometric elements similar to that noted for early Jeddito Black-on-yellow . Slightly later forms consist of open geometric designs with large red areas. Late forms consist of varying shades of red-orange painted designs, incorporated fully in solid design fields rather than just outlining black elements. Later designs are represented by curvilinear, asymmetric life forms and abstract bird designs.” nmarchaeology.org
Sikyatki, Southwest USA, AD 1400 - 1625, Ray Thomas purchased it in 1973 from Pueblo One Indian Arts. It is broken and assembled with less than 15% plaster restoration Ex Boeckman Coll. Dallas, TX
Pan Pipe Middle Nasca, South Coast, Peru, South America, This is a five segment pan pipe with a human face. The nose is pronounced. The eyes are outlined in white, and a headband encircles the top of the head. Florescent period 100 BC to AD 600. Ht. 5” Boeckman Coll. Dallas Comments - John Lunsford points out that this object is an unusual object with a relatively rare iconographic motif.
Most Iroquois nations, including the Mohawk, had three medicine societies, one of which was the Society of Husk Faces. Among the important rituals of the Society are celebration of the Midwinter Festival using the “Bushy Heads” or corn husk masks. They represent earthbound spirits from the other side of the world, where the seasons are reversed (which, in fact, they are south of the Equator). The beings taught the Iroquois the skills of hunting and agriculture. They perform predominantly two dances, known as the Fish Dance and the Women’s Dance. Unlike the False Face dancers, Husk Face dancers are mute. Like the False Face dancers, they can cure the ill by blowing hot ash or sprinkling water on their patients.
The Bushy Heads can be male or female, young or old. Either men or women may dance in the Husk Face Society, and sometimes they choose masks of the opposite gender to the amusement of the audience.
Senufo kpelie mask, BurkinaFaso/Ivory Coast, West Africa, West Africa. Ht. 14”, 20th century. Private European Coll. “Throughout the twentieth century, members of poro, a Senufo initiation association, wore small, finely carved face masks as insignia. The masks, known as kpeliye'e, feature delicate oval faces with geometric projections at the sides. Raised and incised scarification patterns ornament their smooth, glossy surfaces. Considered feminine, the masks honor deceased Senufo elders with their grace and beauty. They provide a complement to the aggressive Senufo helmet masks also sponsored by fraternal organizations in the region.” metmuseum.org
Seated Olmec Figure, Mexico, Mesoamerica, Middle Formative 900 - 600 BC, Ht. 3 3/4" Ex Peter Wray, Boeckman Collection Dallas
Lega figure, Democratic Republic of the Congo, late 19th to early 20th century, Ht. 7” Jacks Coll. Dallas “In the forests of the Democratic Republic of the Congo art is created primarily for semisecret associations of men and women, such as the Bwami society of the Lega peoples. The teachings of Bwami permeate all aspects of life, guiding the moral development of the individual and governing relations with others. Bwami doctrine is represented by wood and ivory masks, heads, and small figures, all of which play a vital role during initiation into the society's highest grades. Although simple in form, these carved objects embody complex and multiple meanings, elaborated through proverbs, skits, and dances. For the Lega, physical beauty and moral excellence are inseparable. The smooth polished surfaces of these sculptures allude to the refined and perfected nature of the Bwami initiate.” metmuseum.org
