H x W x D: 10.5 x 15.5 x 7.5 cm (4 1/8 x 6 1/8 x 2 15/16 in.)
Type:
Figure
Geography:
Abomey, Benin
Date:
Early to mid-20th century
Label Text:
This figure appears to be in the style of the Hontondji lineage--the somewhat elongated figures, their relatively large hands and feet and the abundance of tooled detail. According to oral tradition, this style was introduced by a smith named Gnassounou. He was part of the 1906 Colonial Exposition in Marseille and remained in France to study for three years. The style was well established by 1922 when the Merwart Collection was exhibited and continues to the present day. (Emile Merwart was the colonial governor of Dahomey in 1911-1912.) These figures were purchased by European curiosity seekers originally. According to anthropologist Melville Herskovits, well-to-do Fon were also buying genre scenes as signs of prestige by 1930. Preliminary stylistic analysis suggests that this figure dates from the 1930s or earlier.
Description:
Seated cast copper alloy figure of a woman and child on a European style chaise of sheet metal.
Provenance:
Private collection, Bloomington, Indiana, ca. 1950 to 1976
Ernst Anspach, New York, 1976 to 1994
Content Statement:
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