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Catalog Data

Maker:
Bamum artist  Search this
Medium:
Ceramic
Dimensions:
H x W x D: 20.5 x 39.4 x 39.4 cm (8 1/16 x 15 1/2 x 15 1/2 in.)
Type:
Ceramics
Geography:
Grassfields region, Cameroon
Date:
Early to mid-20th century
Label Text:
African potters--primarily women--handbuild a variety of vessels that they embellish with beautiful colors, designs and motifs before firing them at low temperatures. Containers made for daily use hold water or serve as cooking utensils. They also make vessels to be used in special ceremonies or that become part of an assemblage of objects placed in a shrine.
This bowl may have been used as a washing bowl. The spiders decorating the rim are associated with divination throughout the Grassfields region. They represent wisdom and are associated with the earth and the ancestors.
Description:
Elliptical bowl with a top register decorated with eight spiders, each separated by horizontal bands. Above them are a series of loops placed around the vessel's rim.
Provenance:
Eric Ghysels, Brussels, -- to 1990
Colette Ghysels, Brussels, 1990 to 2000
Exhibition History:
Artful Animals, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., July 1, 2009-July 25, 2010
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 Please note that some records are incomplete (missing image or content descriptions) and others reflect out-of-date language or systems of thought regarding how to engage with and discuss cultural heritage and the specifics of individual artworks.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/
Topic:
spider  Search this
male  Search this
Credit Line:
Museum purchase
Object number:
2000-12-7
Restrictions & Rights:
Usage conditions apply
See more items in:
National Museum of African Art Collection
Data Source:
National Museum of African Art
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ys7c0ca7dd3-bd44-4498-a1ee-b7c75c4f015b
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:nmafa_2000-12-7