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Catalog Data

Maker:
Topotha artist  Search this
Medium:
Bone, leather
Dimensions:
H x W x D: 5.9 x 37.7 x 3 cm (2 5/16 x 14 13/16 x 1 3/16 in.)
Type:
Jewelry
Geography:
South Sudan
Date:
Early to mid-20th century
Label Text:
The Topotha live in Equatoria, the southernmost area of the Republic of Sudan. A seminomadic, cattle-keeping people, they organize their society on the basis of age grades. The Topotha are culturally and linguistically related to the Karamojong cluster.
The Topotha adorned their cattle with ornaments like this one. The woven leather thong was looped around the horns, and the bone pendant rested on the cow's forehead.
Description:
Crescent-shaped bone pendant with pointillated design on braided leather.
Provenance:
Jean-Pierre Ghysels, Brussels, -- to 1983
Exhibition History:
History, Context, Materials: Selections from the Permanent Collection of the National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., November 12, 1985-January 5, 1986
Patterns and Forms, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., August 20-September 16, 1984
Published References:
National Museum of African Art. 1999. Selected Works from the Collection of the National Museum of African Art. Washington, D.C.: National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, p. 156, no. 112.
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 Please note that some records are incomplete (missing image or content descriptions) and others reflect out-of-date language or systems of thought regarding how to engage with and discuss cultural heritage and the specifics of individual artworks.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:
Adornment  Search this
male  Search this
Credit Line:
Museum purchase
Object number:
83-3-13
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/ys784e9b033-0c40-4f3d-bf49-ca672995491d
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:nmafa_83-3-13