H x W x D: 22.8 x 44.0 x 39.2 cm (9 x 17 5/16 x 15 7/16 in.)
Type:
Sculpture
Geography:
Chad
Date:
ca. 1970-1973
Label Text:
Tamdyna described the pattern she pyroengraved onto the exterior of this gourd as "python," a popular pattern with variations evident in other examples in this collection. Typical of the Sara-Nar peoples, the entire exterior surface has been integrated into the design. The red pigment on the interior of this gourd indicates that it was used for serving water at meals. A woman usually owns a series of gourds from small cups to large storage bowls.
Description:
Hemispherical gourd with pyroengraved decoration on the exterior consisting of partial circles divided by triangular and lozenge forms with heavy black borders.
Provenance:
Ellen Patterson Brown, Chevy Chase, Maryland, collected in Chad, 1971-1973 to 1994
Exhibition History:
Visionary: Viewpoints on Africa's Arts, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., November 4, 2017-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
Content Statement:
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