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Boots

National Museum of African Art

Object Details

Lobi artist
Label Text
Leather boots of this type form part of ceremonial or status dress worn by men in northern Ghana. Art historians Herbert M. Cole and Doran H. Ross document dress of this style among the Lobi of Birifu, but note that it was made and likely sold in the northern market town of Bolgatanga. Dress of this type is considered to convey the prestige of Islam leading to its adoption beyond Islamic centers.
Description
Brown leather boots with inlays of blue green leather in strips and rows of triangles. Part of a set including a triangular brown leather bag with fringe (2013-2-3).
Provenance
Ambassador Fred Latimer Hadsel and Winifred Nelson Hadsel, 1971-1974 to 2010
Christine Hadsel, 2010 to 2013
Published References
Curnow, Kathy. 2014. At Home in Africa: Design, Beauty, and Pleasing Irregularity in Domestic Settings. Cleveland: The Galleries at Cleveland State University.
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 Please note that some records are incomplete (missing image or content descriptions) and others reflect out-of-date language or systems of thought regarding how to engage with and discuss cultural heritage and the specifics of individual artworks.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 [email protected] 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/
Credit Line
Gift of Ambassador and Mrs. Fred L. Hadsel
Mid-20th century
Object number
2013-2-2
Restrictions & Rights
Usage conditions apply
Type
Textile and Fiber Arts
Medium
Leather, dye
Dimensions
Each boot, flattened: 49 x 28 x 3 cm (19 5/16 x 11 x 1 3/16 in.)
Geography
Ghana
See more items in
National Museum of African Art Collection
National Museum of African Art
Topic
Male use
geometric motif
male
Record ID
nmafa_2013-2-2
Metadata Usage (text)
Usage conditions apply
GUID (Link to Original Record)
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ys7c0811748-898f-4383-9e7d-93eb695d32eb

Related Content

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There are restrictions for re-using this image. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page .
International media Interoperability Framework
IIIF provides researchers rich metadata and media viewing options for comparison of works across cultural heritage collections. Visit the IIIF page to learn more.
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