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Pendant

National Museum of African Art
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Object Details

Baule artist
Label Text
This maskette is a superb example of the skill of a Baule goldsmith. The artist began by artfully modeling beeswax into the likeness of a male Baule elder with a plaited beard. The wax, soft enough to form but hard enough not to be distorted when covered with clay, took the convex shape of the face with its subtle lines and curves. To fashion the hair, the artist made threads by rolling the wax with a paddle on a flat board. He then wrapped the threads into spirals or braided them together before pressing them onto the face. The finished form was first covered in a fine clay slip, then coarser layers were added until the wax finally was embedded within a large lump of dried clay. When the clay was heated, the wax melted and ran out. The "lost wax" left a perfect mold, ready to receive molten gold alloy. The intended use of the maskette is uncertain. Gold pendant heads were popular as hair adornments in the Baule region during the 19th century. Although no longer items of personal adornment, gold ornaments are still used at times to embellish the sculpted coiffure of a Baule face mask. Although attributed to the Baule, this maskette and other forms of jewelry made by Baule smiths could have circulated in the coastal region of Côte d'Ivoire, where gold jewelry was a prized possession of wealthy families and public exhibitions of acquired gold served to increase one's status.
Description
Cast gold alloy pendant in the form of a face of a bearded male, with braided and twisted raised elements defining hairstyle, eyebrows, eyes and a triangular beard.
Provenance
Mrs. Robert Woods Bliss, Washington, D.C., before 1966 to 1969
Exhibition History
African Beaded Art: Power and Adornment, Smith College Museum of Art, Northampton, February 1-June 15, 2008
America's Smithsonian: Celebrating 150 Years, organized by The Smithsonian, Los Angeles Convention Center, February 9-March 10, 1996; Kansas City Convention Center, April 10-May 19, 1996; Rhode Island Convention Center, Providence, August 21-September 19, 1996; St. Paul Civic Center, October 16-November 14, 1996, Houston, Texas, December 6, 1996- January 28, 1997, Portland Oregon, April 3 - May 6, 1997, Birmingham, Alabama, May 29-July 9, 1997, San Jose, California, July 31- August 25,1997
History, Context, Materials: Selections from the Permanent Collection of the National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., November 12, 1985-January 5, 1986
African Emblems of Status, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., October 29, 1982-April 3, 1983
The Language of African Art, Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution Fine Arts & Portrait Gallery, Washington, D.C., May 24-September 7, 1970, no. 135
Published References
Goodman, Elaine Sooy. 2009. "Warren M. Robbins and the Founding of the National Museum of African Art." Tribal Art XIII:2 (51), p. 93, no. 15.
Museum of African Art. 1970. The Language of African Art, A Guest Exhibition of the Museum of African Art at the Smithsonian Institution Fine Arts & Portrait Gallery Building. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution, no. 135.
Pemberton III, John. 2008. African Beaded Art: Power and Adornment. Northampton: Smith College Museum of Art, pp. 44-45, no. 11.
Robbins, Warren. 1966. African Art in American Collections. New York: Frederick A. Praeger, p. 91, no. 85.
Sieber, Roy. 1984. Gold in Miniature. Gallery handout. Washington, D.C.: National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Smithsonian Institution. 1996. America's Smithsonian, Celebrating 150 Years. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press, p. 106.
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
Bequest of Mrs. Robert Woods Bliss
Late 19th-mid 20th century
Object number
69-20-1
Restrictions & Rights
Usage conditions apply
Type
Jewelry
Medium
Gold alloy
Dimensions
H x W x D: 8.1 x 5.2 x 2.3 cm (3 3/16 x 2 1/16 x 7/8 in.)
Geography
Côte d'Ivoire
See more items in
National Museum of African Art Collection
National Museum of African Art
Topic
Status
Adornment
male
Record ID
nmafa_69-20-1
Metadata Usage (text)
Usage conditions apply
GUID (Link to Original Record)
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ys78e252646-266e-4d1a-a720-184950bdcb67

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