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Catalog Data

Maker:
Kongo artist  Search this
Medium:
Ceramic, encrustation
Dimensions:
H x W x D: 20.9 x 25 x 20.9 cm (8 1/4 x 9 13/16 x 8 1/4 in.)
Type:
Ceramics
Geography:
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Congo
Date:
Early 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 lidded bowl may have been a container for food placed at a gravesite. The hole in the lid may be deliberate to indicate the bowl's placement at such a place. The elaborately incised motifs are similar to those found on Kongo sculptures that depict scarification. The handles are carefully twisted and resemble those found on Kongo baskets. Portions of the vessel's surface show the possible remains of a slip while exterior encrustation and interior debris suggest that the bowl may have been stored some place for a long time.
Description:
Lidded bowl in the form of a European soup tureen. The bowl and lid each have two handles. The bowl has a diamond shaped motif from which triangular shapes, two apiece, protrude from either side of the diamond. The lid has a series of triangular motifs.
Provenance:
Walshaert collection, Antwerp, before 1930
Exhibition History:
Purpose and Perfection: Pottery as a Woman's Art in Central Africa, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., November 15, 1992-June 15, 1997
Published References:
Hexter, M. and W.R. Hopwood. 1992. Investigation of Decorative Coatings on Kongo Ceramics Using UV Light and FTIR Analysis. Materials Issues in Art and Archaeology III. Materials Research Society Symposium Proceedings. 267: p. 303, no.6.
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 Please note that some records are incomplete (missing image or content descriptions) and others reflect out-of-date language or systems of thought regarding how to engage with and discuss cultural heritage and the specifics of individual artworks.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:
male  Search this
Credit Line:
Purchased with funds provided by the Smithsonian Collections Acquisition Program
Object number:
89-13-23
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/ys7cc917502-09f0-45f0-b04d-a489403c6760
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:nmafa_89-13-23