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Catalog Data

Maker:
Luguru artist  Search this
Medium:
Wood
Dimensions:
H x W x D: 80 x 38.1 x 37.5 cm (31 1/2 x 15 x 14 3/4 in.)
Type:
Decorative Arts
Geography:
Morogoro Region, Tanzania
Date:
Early 20th century
Label Text:
In East Africa, elaborate high-backed stools generally signify the governing authority of their owners; in effect, they become thrones that are used in official ceremonies. Some stools were also important ritual objects; they could hold sacred figures or simply be placed in the ceremony and never sat upon.
The distinguishing feature of this stool is the high backrest in the form of a stylized female torso with small, sharply defined breasts. The backrest is surmounted by a head carved in the round, with a central crested hairstyle and small scarification nodes on each side of the face. A discoid seat rests on a tripartite openwork support.
Most of the published examples of such high-backed stools represent females. This may symbolize the chief's female ancestors and the matrilineal organization of many central Tanzanian societies. According to John Wembah-Rashid, formerly with the National Museum of Tanzania in Dar es Salaam, stools from this region of Africa were often found in pairs, one female, the other male. The stools were used by chiefs and other notables, including their wives or consorts.
Description:
Carved low wood stool with a backrest carved in the form of a female torso. The head with a central crest hairstyle is carved in full relief and the breasts project from the backrest. The seat is circular and the base is openwork with three legs.
Provenance:
Belgian military officer, collected in Tanganyika, ca. 1919
Jef Van der Straete, Lasne, Belgium, 1956
Aaron Furman, New York, 1961 to 1975
Prince Sadruddin Aga Khan, 1975 to 1983
Robert and Nancy Nooter, Washington, D.C., 1983 to 1989
Exhibition History:
Pavilion: A New Look, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., October 9, 2019–ongoing
Conversations: African and African American Artworks in Dialogue - From the Collections of the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art and Camille O. and William H. Cosby, Jr., National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, November 7, 2014-January 24, 2016
Art of the Personal Object, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., September 24, 1991-April 9, 2007
African Art in the Cycle of Life, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., September 28, 1987-March 20, 1988
Published References:
Arnold, Marion (ed). 2008. Art in Eastern Africa. Dar es Salaam: Mkuki Na Nyota Publishers, p. 15, no. 0.8.
Gillon, Werner. 1979. Collecting African Art. New York: Rizzzoli; London: Studio Vista, pp. 152-153, no. 189.
Kreamer, Christine Mullen. 2003. " A Tribute to Roy Sieber: Part 2." African Arts 36 (2), p. 20, no. 20.
Kreamer, Christine Mullen and Adrienne L. Childs (eds). 2014. Conversations: African and African American Artworks in Dialogue from the Collections of the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art and Camille O. and William H. Cosby, Jr. Washington, D.C.: National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, pp. 158, 173, no. 86, pl. 79.
Maurer, Evan and Allen F. Roberts. 1985. Tabwa: The Rising of the New Moon. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Museum of Art, no. 62.
National Museum of African Art, 1987-1997: Celebrating 10 Years on the Mall. 1997. Museum brochure. Washington, D.C.: National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, no. 1989.
National Museum of African Art. 1999. Selected Works from the Collection of the National Museum of African Art. Washington, D.C.: National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, p. 167, no. 123.
Sieber, Roy and Roslyn Adele Walker. 1987. African Art in the Cycle of Life. Washington, D.C.: National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, p. 113, no. 64.
Sotheby's. 1983. Prince Sadruddin Aga Khan Collection of African Art. Auction catalogue (June 29). London, no. 73.
Thompson, Barbara. 2008-2009. "Protean Symbolism in Uganda and Mwali Rites in Northeastern Tanzania." Cantor Arts Center Journal 6, p. 68, no. 2.
Visoná, Monica Blackmun, Robin Poyner, Herbert M. Cole and Michael D. Harris. 2001. A History of Art in Africa. New York: Harry N. Abrams, p. 451, no. 13-19.
Visoná, Monica Blackmun, Robin Poyner and Herbert M. Cole. 2008. A History of Art in Africa. Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Prentice Hall, p. 441, no. 13-18.
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:
Leadership  Search this
Ancestral  Search this
Status  Search this
Male use  Search this
Female use  Search this
male  Search this
female  Search this
Credit Line:
Gift of Robert and Nancy Nooter
Object number:
89-10-1
Restrictions & Rights:
Usage conditions apply
See more items in:
National Museum of African Art Collection
On View:
NMAfA, Pavilion Gallery
Data Source:
National Museum of African Art
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ys7d274bc43-3f01-44d0-9334-0ae1b3fd6d5e
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:nmafa_89-10-1