Woman preparing igname, Tano Sakassou village, Ivory Coast

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Object Details

See more items in: Eliot Elisofon Field collection; Eliot Elisofon Field collection / Côte d'Ivoire

Archival Repository: Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives, National Museum of African Art

Collection Citation: Eliot Elisofon Field Collection, EEPA 1973-001, Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution

Collection Rights: Permission to reproduce images from the Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives must be obtained in advance. The collection is subject to all copyright laws.

Scope and Contents: "In the traditional economy, husbands and wives were bound together by interlocking activities that resulted in a common endeavor. Basic food production is still similarly shared today, with wives having an obligation to cultivate their own fields and to cook regular meals for their husbands. Men have a parallel obligation to clear the fields and provide wives with reasonable amounts of yams and meat. (A man without a wife must attach himself to a household where a woman will cook for him -men do not cook for themselves.)" [Vogel S., 1997:Baule: African Art, Western Eyes. Tien Wah Press]. This photograph was taken when Eliot Elisofon was on assignment for National Geographic and traveled to Africa from January 19, 1972 to mid April 1972.

Collection Restrictions: Use of original records requires an appointment. Contact Archives staff for more details.