Framed: 47.2 x 80.1 x 4cm (18 9/16 x 31 9/16 x 1 9/16 in.)
Type:
Painting
Geography:
Benin City, Nigeria
Date:
1989
Label Text:
Barbershop and commercial signs provide a living for the man who painted this pig. This signed painting was created by a Igbo artist living in Benin City, Nigeria who sells work under the name HIMS, likely for his own amusement than in the hope that it would sell.
The domesticated pig is raised on scraps and often unconfined. In some areas, large-scale pig farms are being tested even though devout Muslims do not eat pork. The wild pig, by contrast, is a threat to farmers' crops. In parts of central Africa the wild pig is described as "uncontrollable as a woman" and featured on initiation masks.
Description:
Painting of a proper left profile of a brown pig.
Exhibition History:
Artful Animals, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., July 1, 2009-July 25, 2010
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 Please note that some records are incomplete (missing image or content descriptions) and others reflect out-of-date language or systems of thought regarding how to engage with and discuss cultural heritage and the specifics of individual artworks.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/
