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Comb

National Museum of African Art
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Object Details

Baule artist
Label Text
Gold leafing is a centuries-old technique in Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana. A small pellet of gold is repeatedly hammered and turned on an anvil to achieve a uniformly thin sheet. This sheet is then placed on a carved wood object and affixed with tiny metal staples or an adhesive. In addition to hair ornaments, this technique is applied to a wide variety of figures and prestige display items that are owned by individuals of high status.
Description
Wood and gold leaf comb and/or hair ornament surmounted by a standing bird. The upper portion of the comb and bird are decorated in zigzag and geometric designs.
Provenance
Judith Timyan, acquired Bouaké, Côte d'Ivoire, 1974 to 1994
Exhibition History
Good As Gold: Fashioning Senegalese Women, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., October 24, 2018-February 2, 2020; North Carolina Museum of Art, Raleigh, September 16, 2020-January 3, 2021
Inauguration 2009, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., January 17-March 2, 2009
Hair in African Art and Culture, Museum for African Art Long Island City, NY, February 9-May 28, 2000; Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, Detroit, February 8-April 15, 2001; California African-American Museum, Los Angeles, May 14-August 15, 2001; Diggs Gallery, Winston-Salem State University, September 22-December 15, 2001
Art of the Personal Object, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., September 24, 1991-April 9, 2007
Published References
Sieber, Roy and Frank Herreman. 2000. Hair in African Art and Culture. New York: Museum for African Art; Munich: Prestel, p. 126, no. 116.
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 Please note that some records are incomplete (missing image or content descriptions) and others reflect out-of-date language or systems of thought regarding how to engage with and discuss cultural heritage and the specifics of individual artworks.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/
Credit Line
Gift of Judith Timyan
Early to mid-20th century
Object number
94-3-1
Restrictions & Rights
Usage conditions apply
Type
Sculpture
Medium
Wood, gold leaf, thread
Dimensions
H x W x D: 15.6 x 4.1 x 1.5 cm (6 1/8 x 1 5/8 x 9/16 in.)
Geography
Côte d'Ivoire
See more items in
National Museum of African Art Collection
National Museum of African Art
Topic
bird
Adornment
geometric motif
male
Record ID
nmafa_94-3-1
Metadata Usage (text)
Usage conditions apply
GUID (Link to Original Record)
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ys789f4cc7f-95dc-482d-bba7-87d0e162bc70

Related Content

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  • Good as Gold

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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