In 1881 Mohammed Ahmed Ibn el-Sayyid Abdullah (1844-1885) declared himself "al-Mahdi," the Proclaimed One, successor to the prophet Mohammed. A scholar and an ascetic, he criticized the corruption of both local religious leaders and the intrusive Egyptian colonial officials who governed the Sudan. Egypt was officially part of the Ottoman Empire of Turkey, but its ruling khedives (viceroys) had a g
Levenson, Jay A. (ed). 2007. Encompassing the Globe: Portugal and the World in the 16th & 17th Centuries. Washington, D.C.: Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, Smithsonian Institution, p. 150, no. A-3.
Kreamer, Christine Mullen, Bryna Freyer and Andrea Nicolls. 2007. African Vision: The Walt Disney-Tishman African Art Collection. Washington, D.C.: National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, pp. 72-73, no. 17.
[2] Documented in James Hooper’s collection in Hooper, J.T. and C.A. Burland. 1953. The Art of Primitive Peoples. London: Fountain Press, no. 62. Beginning in 1957, this figure was exhibited at Hooper’s private museum, the “Totem Museum,” Arundel, England. See: British Pathé, Totem Museum (1957): https://www.britishpathe.com/asset/36649/.
Visoná, Monica Blackmun, Robin Poyner and Herbert M. Cole. 2008. A History of Art in Africa. Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Prentice Hall, p. 331, no. 10-18.
Levenson, Jay A. (ed). 2007. Encompassing the Globe: Portugal and the World in the 16th & 17th Centuries. Washington, D.C.: Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, Smithsonian Institution, p. 151, no. A-4.
Manillas were open bracelets in various sizes and weights cast from copper or brass; later they were composed of a mixture of other metals. From the late 15th to the early 20th century, they circulated widely, especially along the West African equatorial coast. Manillas like this one were cast in Birmingham, England, and traded as currency in West Africa. Three types of manillas exist. Pieces of t
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 Please note that some records are incomplete (missing image or content descriptions) and others reflect out-of-date language or systems of thought regarding how to engage with and discuss cultural heritage and the specifics of individual artworks.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