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Catalog Data

Maker:
Tuareg artist  Search this
Medium:
Silver, glass, wax
Dimensions:
H x W x D: 8.0 x 4.4 x 0.5 cm (3 1/8 x 1 3/4 x 3/16 in.)
Type:
Jewelry
Geography:
Ingal, Niger
Date:
Early to mid-20th century
Label Text:
The Tuareg are famous for their jewelry known as "crosses." Many crosses have unfamiliar shapes, and during the colonial period, the French named them according to the regions where they were made. The Cross of In Gall derives its name from the town of In Gall, which is in Niger. Although women originally wore these crosses as finger rings, Tuareg girls and women now attach them to leather cords and wear them as necklaces. Today, smiths create miniature Crosses of In Gall to be worn as drop earrings and larger versions to form key rings.
This cross is elaborately decorated. The oval motif on this pendant may refer to the lizard, and the red glass is associated with healing and fertility. The back of this pendant is signed by the smith who made it.
Description:
Pendant of a Cross of In Gall with a triangular shaped red glass insert. It is elaborately decorated with triangles, zigzags, lines and squares and has a loop for suspension. The oval element at the bottom may refer to the lizard.
Provenance:
Private European collection, collected Niger or Mali, 1959-1971 to 1993
Exhibition History:
Caravans of Gold Fragments in Time, Block Museum of Art, Evanston, IL, January 26, 2019–July 21, 2019; The Aga Khan Museum, Toronto, Canada, September 21, 2019–February 23, 2020; Smithsonian National Museum of African Art, Washington, D.C., July 16, 2021 – February 27, 2022
Inscribing Meaning: Writing and Graphic Systems in African Art, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, May 9- August 26, 2007; Fowler Museum at University of California, Los Angeles, October 14, 2007-February 17, 2008
Art from the Forge, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., September 6, 1995-January 2, 1996
Published References:
Kreamer, Christine, Mary Nooter Roberts, Elizabeth Harney and Allyson Purpura. 2007. Inscribing Meaning: Writing and Graphic Systems in African Art. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution; Milan: 5 Continents Editions, p. 60, no. 4.8.
Kreamer, Christine, Mary Nooter Roberts, Elizabeth Harney and Allyson Purpura. 2007. "Inscribing Meaning: Writing and Graphic Systems in African Art." African Arts 40 (3), p. 81, no. 7.
Loughran, Kristyne. 1995. Art from the Forge. Washington D.C.: National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, p. 10, no. 4b.
National Museum of African Art. 2007. 2007-2008 School Calendar: Featuring the new Let's Read about Africa and the Sounds of African Music programs. Museum calendar. Washington, D.C.: National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, October 2007.
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:
Status  Search this
Adornment  Search this
Female use  Search this
geometric motif  Search this
male  Search this
Credit Line:
Museum purchase and gift of Mrs. Florence Selden in memory of Carl L. Selden
Object number:
93-6-7
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/ys7d2b82035-f92c-4f35-bfaf-a902188951a8
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:nmafa_93-6-7