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Catalog Data

Maker:
Luba artist  Search this
Songye artist  Search this
Medium:
Gourd, leather, hide, animal bones, plant fiber, iron, copper alloy, inorganic surface application, seed pods, stone, cloth, glass beads, egg shell, reptile skin, white metal tax tags, newspaper
Dimensions:
H x W x D: 15.9 × 21.6 × 20 cm (6 1/4 × 8 1/2 × 7 7/8 in.)
Type:
Sculpture
Geography:
Kasaï Province, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Date:
Early 20th century, by 1932
Description:
Undecorated gourd container with serrated lid; leather clasps affix the lid to the vessel. Inside the container: 2 tax tags (1915 # 30387 with star and palm fronds, 1931 #135477 with bi-plane), 2 metal razors, 1 metal tattoo knife, 1 nail, a blue bead bracelet with 1 extra bead, 1 broken wooden handle, 1 carved wooden figure, wooden cylinders (10 carved, 1 carved with rope attached, 1 uncarved with 2 grommets, 1 uncarved), 3 seed pods, 1 stone (quartz), 2 pieces of rope, 1 scrap of fabric, 1 scrap cured leather, 2 animal teeth (possibly of a crocodile), 1 scrap of animal skin, 1 rodent jawbone, 7 animal bones with paws attached, 17 animal bones.
Provenance:
Collected by George and Elsie McKee; by descent to Katherine Mpeshi McKee. From Donor's documentation: Luba Kasai or Songye (D. Binkley); 1918-1935, presented at Bibanga to George McKee by owner as proof of her acceptance of Christianity.
Exhibition History:
VMFA, 2019?
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 Please note that some records are incomplete (missing image or content descriptions) and others reflect out-of-date language or systems of thought regarding how to engage with and discuss cultural heritage and the specifics of individual artworks.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/
Topic:
Divination  Search this
Status  Search this
Female use  Search this
Credit Line:
Gift in memory of Charles Theodore McKee from the George T. McKee Collection
Object number:
2020-9-3
Restrictions & Rights:
Usage conditions apply
See more items in:
National Museum of African Art Collection
Data Source:
National Museum of African Art
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ys7126a9893-125a-4d5b-a9ee-1f9579474343
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:nmafa_2020-9-3