H x W x D: 30.5 x 1.7 x 1.9 cm (12 x 11/16 x 3/4 in.)
Type:
Jewelry
Geography:
South Africa
Date:
Late 19th-early 20th century
Label Text:
The Nguni frequently carve small personal objects from the horns of an ox or cow. Incised and punched designs are decorated with red and green pigment. These objects are both spoons, to take snuff from a container, and hair pins, to be worn as adornments.
Description:
Hair ornament composed of a horn spoon with a small bowl, tapering handle and incised geometric decorations filled with red pigment.
Provenance:
Michael Graham-Stewart, London, -- to 1989
Exhibition History:
Art of the Personal Object, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., September 24, 1991-April 9, 2007
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