Since the 1940s, low-fired ceramic figures and fragments such as this have been unearthed at various sites throughout the Inland Niger Delta region, an area that once had highly developed urban centers. These works are among the earliest known surviving art forms in sub-Saharan Africa. The makers were from the various peoples in the region, but it is not known whether they were men or women. Using
Beginning in the 16th century German potters produced saltglaze stoneware, which they exported all over Europe. Fired to a great hardness, the pots were covered with a saltglaze that produced a rich brown color, similar to bronze. Popular shapes included round jugs used to serve beer. The most distinctive were those with human faces on or just below the neck known as Bellarmines or Bartmann jugs.
Straw with a reed shaft surrounded by vegetable fibers and secured by a copper alloy piece 1 7/8 inches from the top (mouthpiece). The upper 4 inches curves at approximately 30 degrees. The last 3/4 inches consists of much more loosely woven fibers which form a bulb shape, probably functioning as a filter. Under the reed mouthpiece what appears to be two fibers are wrapped around the base. The pre
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 Please note that some records are incomplete (missing image or content descriptions) and others reflect out-of-date language or systems of thought regarding how to engage with and discuss cultural heritage and the specifics of individual artworks.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
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 Please note that some records are incomplete (missing image or content descriptions) and others reflect out-of-date language or systems of thought regarding how to engage with and discuss cultural heritage and the specifics of individual artworks.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
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 Please note that some records are incomplete (missing image or content descriptions) and others reflect out-of-date language or systems of thought regarding how to engage with and discuss cultural heritage and the specifics of individual artworks.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
Cast bracelets with relief images were among the emblems of the Lemba cult. From the mid-17th century to the first decades of the 20th century, Lemba functioned in a number of Kongo groups in central Africa. Traces of the cult have also been documented in Haiti and Brazil. Although changing over time and place, this complex cult initially focused on healing. Its members were the elite of Kongo soc