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Source Description
Used by male chiefs, ivory scepters were symbols of status indicating worldly authority and supernatural influence. The use of ivory implies that the chief has the fatal power of an elephant. The figurine shows a chief enthroned on the bound body of a criminal destined for such a death. A medicine package would have been enclosed within the container extending from the figure’s head, bestowing supernatural powers.
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
168742
label
Scepter
core
obj
dtoType
object
pageCount
1
Source metadata
id
168742
contentType
object
title
Scepter
description
Used by male chiefs, ivory scepters were symbols of status indicating worldly authority and supernatural influence. The use of ivory implies that the chief has the fatal power of an elephant. The figurine shows a chief enthroned on the bound body of a criminal destined for such a death. A medicine package would have been enclosed within the container extending from the figure’s head, bestowing supernatural powers.
date
late 1800s–early 1900s
rights
CC0
rightsUri
CC0
language
en
wikidata
Q80075106
genreSpecific
Tools and Equipment
imageCount
1
source
import
dimensionsRaw
Overall: 28 x 2.5 x 4 cm (11 x 1 x 1 9/16 in.)
cul
Africa, Central Africa, Democratic Republic of Congo (most likely), Cabinda, or Republic of Congo, probably Kongo-style (Yombe sub-group) carver
accession
2010.447
Source extras
tec
ivory
tombstone
Scepter, late 1800s–early 1900s. Africa, Central Africa, Democratic Republic of Congo (most likely), Cabinda, or Republic of Congo, probably Kongo-style (Yombe sub-group) carver. Ivory; overall: 28 x 2.5 x 4 cm (11 x 1 x 1 9/16 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, René and Odette Delenne Collection, Leonard C. Hanna Jr. Fund, 2010.447
collection
African Art
didYouKnow
Scepters often represent the chief sitting atop a bound prisoner or attribute to a violent death.
citations
citation
Bastin, Marie-Louise, et al. <em>Utotombo. L'Art d'Afrique noire dans les collections privées belges: Société des Expositions du Palais des Beaux-Arts, Bruxelles, 25 mars-5 juin 1988</em>, 205. Exh. Cat. Brussels: Société des Expositions du Palais des Beaux-Arts, March 25-June 5, 1988.
page_number
Reproduced and mentioned: p. 205, cat. 163
citation
Lehuard, Raoul<em>. Art Bakongo. Insigne de pouvorir. Le scepter</em> 4. Arnouville, FR: Arts d'Afrique Noire, 1998, 962-963.
page_number
Reproduced and mentioned: pp. 962-963, no. M3
citation
Petridis, Constantine. "René and Odette Delenne." In <em>Tribal Art </em>XV-4, no. 61 (Autumn 2011): 121.
page_number
Reproduced: p. 121, fig. 6
citation
Cleveland Museum of Art. <em>Cleveland Art: The Cleveland Museum of Art Members Magazine</em>. Vol. 53 no. 05, September/October 2013
page_number
Mentioned & reproduced: p. 12
citation
Petridis, Constantine, et al. <em>Fragments of the Invisible: The René and Odette Delenne Collection of Congo Sculpture.</em> Cleveland, OH: Cleveland Museum of Art. Milan: 5 Continents Editions, 2013, 24, 41,45, 112.
page_number
Mentioned: pp. 24, 112-113; reproduced: p. 45, cat. 9
creditline
René and Odette Delenne Collection, Leonard C. Hanna Jr. Fund
updatedAt
2026-05-29 08:40:39.092000
sourceId
168742
dept
African Art
coll
African Art
med
ivory
thumbnail_url
image_url
Single page context
seq
1
pageIndex
0
type
photo
mediaId
967156ca20968b6e