Search Results

Creator:

National Museum of African Art  Search this

Type:

YouTube Videos

Uploaded:

2019-04-05T16:30:20.000Z

YouTube Category:

Education  Search this

Topic:

Art, African  Search this

See more by:

SmithsonianAfricanAr

Data Source:

National Museum of African Art

YouTube Channel:

SmithsonianAfricanAr

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:yt_Hd4k6lb3O4E

Creator:

Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage  Search this

Type:

YouTube Videos

Uploaded:

2020-07-15T15:29:03.000Z

YouTube Category:

Music  Search this

Topic:

Cultural property  Search this

See more by:

smithsonianfolkways

Data Source:

Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage

YouTube Channel:

smithsonianfolkways

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:yt_6pzmOW1378E

Biogeographical Region:

22 - West Tropical Africa  Search this

Collector:

P. A. Schafer  Search this

Min. Elevation:

120  Search this

Place:

Region Plateaux - Notsé 5 km S Tététou., Plateaux, Togo, Africa

Collection Date:

4 Dec 1983

Taxonomy:

Plantae Dicotyledonae Malpighiales Salicaceae Salicoideae

Published Name:

Flacourtia flavescens Willd.

Barcode:

03024165

USNM Number:

3596752

See more items in:

Botany

Flowering plants and ferns

Data Source:

NMNH - Botany Dept.

GUID:

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/39487c07d-1d4f-4b1b-b0a1-a51d27736f2d

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:nmnhbotany_14377902

Creator:

National Museum of African Art  Search this

Type:

YouTube Videos

Uploaded:

2019-04-05T17:05:12.000Z

YouTube Category:

Education  Search this

Topic:

Art, African  Search this

See more by:

SmithsonianAfricanAr

Data Source:

National Museum of African Art

YouTube Channel:

SmithsonianAfricanAr

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:yt_Yic0yzcV5x4

Author:

Ndougsa, Vincent de Paul 1957-  Search this

Writer of preface:

Koukam, Jacques Deboheur  Search this

Physical description:

441 pages 24 cm

Type:

Books

History

Place:

Cameroon

Cameroun

Date:

2018

Topic:

History  Search this

Social conditions  Search this

Beti (African people)--Social life and customs  Search this

Beti (African people)--Rites and ceremonies  Search this

Ethnology  Search this

Beti (Peuple d'Afrique)--Histoire  Search this

Beti (Peuple d'Afrique)--Conditions sociales  Search this

Beti (Peuple d'Afrique)--Mœurs et coutumes  Search this

Ethnologie  Search this

Beti (African people)  Search this

Manners and customs  Search this

Social life and customs  Search this

Data Source:

Smithsonian Libraries

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:siris_sil_1159640

Biogeographical Region:

22 - West Tropical Africa  Search this

Collector:

P. A. Schafer  Search this

Min. Elevation:

270  Search this

Place:

Savane - Dapaong 3 km ESE Boumbouaka. Cultures/parc de Borassus et Vitex sur croupes convexes., Togo, Africa

Collection Date:

21 Nov 1983

Taxonomy:

Plantae Monocotyledonae Poales Poaceae Chloridoideae

Published Name:

Thelepogon elegans Roth

Barcode:

04128485

USNM Number:

3398873

See more items in:

Botany

Flowering plants and ferns

Data Source:

NMNH - Botany Dept.

GUID:

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/39f77c028-b6b6-4629-9575-9ca6f7da096c

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:nmnhbotany_16770873

Container:

Box 8 of 8

Type:

Archival materials

Collection Rights:

Restricted for 15 years. until Jan-01-2030; Transferring office; 4/23/2001 memorandum, Johnstone to Seefeldt; Contact reference staff for details.

Collection Citation:

Smithsonian Institution Archives, Accession 14-242, Smithsonian Institution, Office of International Relations, Country Files

See more items in:

Country Files

Country Files / Box 8

Archival Repository:

Smithsonian Institution Archives

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-sia-fa14-242-refidd1e3527

Collection Creator:

André Emmerich Gallery  Search this

Container:

Box 61, Folder 37

Type:

Archival materials

Date:

1963, 1969-1971

Collection Restrictions:

Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center. Access of diaries and appointment books required written permission.

Collection Rights:

The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.

Collection Citation:

André Emmerich Gallery records and André Emmerich papers, circa 1929-2009. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Sponsor:

Funding for the processing of this collection was provided by the Leon Levy Foundation.

See more items in:

André Emmerich Gallery Records and André Emmerich Papers

André Emmerich Gallery Records and André Emmerich Papers / Series 6: Artists Files

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw94f054bb0-b0f6-4674-8e09-0c91fbe4a0bc

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-aaa-andremmg-ref3055

Creator:

Swanton, John Reed, 1873-1958  Search this

Sylestine, Harden  Search this

Extent:

5,400 Items (cards )

4 Boxes

Culture:

Alibamu  Search this

Coushatta (Koasati)  Search this

Alabama Indians  Search this

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Dictionaries

Date:

1906-1913

Scope and Contents:

Alabama-English, 2433 typed cards in 2 boxes; English-Alabama, approximately 3000 typed and autograph A. cards in 2 boxes. Includes terms written in pencil and marked "(K)," which may be terms in Koasati. Informants are Harden Sylestine and others.

Swanton's arrangement of the Alabama-English section is generally alphabetical, with many terms grouped together by stesm. The cards have been stamped with consecutive numbers 1-2433, and Swanton's order has been preserved. Cards that had been clipped together now have a second number, beginning with 1 for the first in a clipped group (e.g., if cards 25-27 were found clipped together, they would now be numbered 25-1, 26-2, 27-3).

The Alabama-English section (with sequentially numbered cards) contains utterances identifiable by a following number in parentheses. If the number does not begin with zero, apparently if refers to Swanton's page numbers in his rough field notes (M 4151 "second set"). Numbers beginning with zero seem to refer to the"first set," MS 4151-- Karen Lupardus, August 18, 1978.

Biographical / Historical:

The note by Swanton preceding Alabama-English section reads? "The material marked (H) was furnished by an Alabama Indian, Harden Sylestine, who translated in his own way. His translation is usually preserved lest a mistake be made in altering; the material is to be corrected later. This includes all of my Alabama material except 12 pages of text by native informants and a vocabulary which for the most part duplicates what has been given."

Local Numbers:

NAA MS 2435

Place:

Texas Polk County

Other Archival Materials:

Related Collection: Manuscript 4151

Related Collection: Manuscript 7360

Related Collection: Manuscript 7361

Topic:

Language and languages -- Documentation  Search this

Indians of North America -- Southern states  Search this

Genre/Form:

Dictionaries

Citation:

Manuscript 2435, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution

Identifier:

NAA.MS2435

Archival Repository:

National Anthropological Archives

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/nw3a7cf5734-ebaa-4e0c-82f2-e8a0b15d0fe6

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-naa-ms2435

Collector:

Dr. Alain Crosnier  Search this

Ocean/Sea/Gulf:

South Atlantic Ocean  Search this

Depth (m):

14 - 17

Preparation:

Alcohol (Ethanol)

Place:

Togo, South Atlantic Ocean

Collection Date:

17 Oct 1963

Published Name:

Heteropanope tuberculidens Monod, 1956

USNM Number:

127174

See more items in:

Invertebrate Zoology

Arthropoda

Data Source:

NMNH - Invertebrate Zoology Dept.

GUID:

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/3adddd3eb-bb04-4bba-b06a-9b489a4902d8

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:nmnhinvertebratezoology_91461

Collector:

National Museum of African Art (U.S.)  Search this

Extent:

61 Volumes

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Volumes

Postcards

Place:

Algeria

Angola

Benin

Burkina Faso

Burundi

Cameroon

Cape Verde

Central African Republic

Chad

Congo (Democratic Republic)

Côte d'Ivoire

Mozambique

Morocco

Mali

Namibia

Rwanda

Niger

Nigeria

Somalia

South Africa

Sierra Leone

Sudan

Tanzania

Togo

Tunisia

Zimbabwe

Zambia

Uganda

Senegal

Kenya

Liberia

Ghana

Guinea

Mauritania

Madagascar

Malawi

Djibouti

Ethiopia

Gabon

Egypt

Eritrea

Africa

Date:

1898-[ongoing]

Summary:

This collection includes postcards from 45 African countries. Subjects include agriculture; animals; artists; body arts; cityscapes; cultural landscapes; dance; education; expeditions; flora; industry; leaders; marketplaces; medicine; military; missionaries; music; portraits; recreation; rites and ceremonies; and transportation, among many other topics.

Arrangement note:

Arranged by country and topic

Provenance:

NMAfA: National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives, 950 Independence Ave. S.W. 20560-0708;, Transfer;, 1985-ongoing;, 1985-0014

Restrictions:

Use of original records requires an appointment. Contact Archives staff for more details.

Rights:

Permission to reproduce images from the Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives must be obtained in advance. The collection is subject to all copyright laws.

Genre/Form:

Postcards

Citation:

African Postcard collection, EEPA 1985-014, Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Identifier:

EEPA.1985-014

See more items in:

African Postcard Collection

Archival Repository:

Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives, National Museum of African Art

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/xo7db935b22-d87f-4afd-95bb-b2f1180fcf9d

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-eepa-1985-014

Collection Creator:

Oldman, W. O. (William Ockleford), 1879-1949  Search this

Extent:

252 Digital images

Type:

Archival materials

Digital images

Date:

1910-1914

Collection Restrictions:

Digital access only. For physical access see the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa website. https://collections.tepapa.govt.nz/agent/4913

Collection Rights:

Copyright in the business records is owned by the Estate of W. O. Oldman represented by the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, permission for commercial use of the digital images may be requested from the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, Media Licensing, at: mediasalesandlicensing@tepapa.govt.nz.

For personal or classroom use, users are invited to download, print, photocopy, and distribute the images that are available online without prior written permission, provided that the files are not changedand the source of the image is identified as the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa/National Museum of the American Indian, Smithsonian Institution.

Collection Citation:

William Ockleford Oldman Archive research materials, Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa and the National Museum of the American Indian, Smithsonian Institution.

Identifier:

NMAI.RM.001, Item CA000228/001/0002

See more items in:

William Ockleford Oldman Archive research materials

Archival Repository:

National Museum of the American Indian

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/sv404f19c2b-c0ff-41e0-97e4-7ab735ed77a4

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-nmai-rm-001-ref2

Collection Creator:

Freer, Charles Lang, 1856-1919  Search this

Container:

Box 44, Folder 2

Type:

Archival materials

Collection Restrictions:

Collection is open for research.

Collection Rights:

Permission to publish, quote, or reproduce must be secured from the repository.

Collection Citation:

Charles Lang Freer Papers. FSA A.01. National Museum of Asian Art Archives. Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. Gift of the estate of Charles Lang Freer.

See more items in:

Charles Lang Freer Papers

Charles Lang Freer Papers / Series 2: Correspondence / 2.2: Charles Lang Freer Letterpress Books, 1892-1910

Archival Repository:

Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/dc3d44dacdc-5d2d-40ea-8d83-e083860fbe4d

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-fsa-a-01-ref654

Photographer:

Elisofon, Eliot  Search this

Extent:

14000 Negatives (photographic) (b&w, 35mm)

30000 Slides (photographs) (color)

80,000 Photographic prints (b&w, 25 x 20 cm. or smaller.)

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Negatives (photographic)

Slides (photographs)

Photographic prints

Negatives

Color slides

Black-and-white negatives

Black-and-white photographs

Place:

Africa

Congo (Democratic Republic)

Mali

Ghana

Côte d'Ivoire

Benin

Burkina Faso

Egypt

Kenya

Liberia

Niger

Nigeria

Rwanda

Senegal

South Africa

Sudan

Tanzania

Togo

Uganda

Zambia

Zimbabwe

Central African Republic

Date:

circa 1935-1978

Summary:

This collection is comprised of photographic and manuscript materials, primarily created by Eliot Elisofon to document his travels and work. The images portray many aspects of African life and culture including agriculture, wildlife, archaeology, architecture, art and artisans, children, cityscapes and landscapes, leaders, markets, medicine, recreation, ritual and celebration, and transportation. The manuscript materials include correspondence, essays, clippings, puobligations, notes, research, and itineraries.

Scope and Contents:

This collection is comprised of circa 14,000 negatives, 30, 0000 slides, 8,000 photographic prints, and 14 boxes of manuscript materials that date from circa 1945-1978.

The photographs document Eliot Elisofon's travels and work in Africa. The images portray many aspects of African life and culture including agriculture, wildlife, archaeology, architecture, art and artisans, children, cityscapes and landscapes, leaders, markets, medicine, recreation, ritual and celebration, and transportation. Artisans shown include an Asante weaver making kente cloth in Ghana; a Dogon carver in Mali making a kanaga mask; an Ebrie goldsmith in Cote d'Ivoire; Hausa dyers in Kano, Nigeria; and Nupe beadmakers in Nigeria; as well as artists at the Ecole des Beaux Arts in Kinshasa, Congo. Portraits of leaders include the Asante court at Kumase in Ghana; Ebrie chiefs and notables in Cote d'Ivoire; the timi (king) of Ede, a Yourba town, Nigeria; the emir of Katsina, Nigeria; and the Kuba king and his court in the Congo. There are informal portraits showing children of the Kuba royal court dancing, Fulbe women with gold earrings in Mali, Mangbetu women in the Congo, and Maasai elders in Kenya. Masked dances documented include a Dogon dama festival celebration in Mali, an Igbo festival in Nigeria, and Kuba and Pende masked dancers in the Congo. There are also images of Yoruba gelede (men's association) masks in Nigeria. Non-masked dancers shown include Dan professional acrobatic dancers in Cote d'Ivoire, Irigwe dancers in Nigeria, Mangbetu dancers in the Congo, Mbuti dancers in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Wodaabe men dancing in Nigeria. Events shown include Hausa riders in chain mail during the Independence Day celebration in Katsina, Nigeria. Images of art in situ include ancestral altars in the King of Benin's palace in Nigeria; Dogon rock paintings in Mali; and Yoruba Shango shrine sculptures in the palace courtyard of timi (king) of Ede in Nigeria. Landscapes include views of mount Kilimanjaro, Tanzania. Animals shown include birds, buffalos, elephants and giraffes. Traditional architecture shown includes Asante shrine houses with raised wall decorations in Ghana, Dogon villages in Mali and mosques in Mopti.

The manuscript materials include correspondence, essays, clippings, puobligations, notes, research, and itineraries.

Biographical/Historical note:

A photographer best known for his work in Life magazine. Elisofon worked as a free-lance magazine photographer from 1933 to 1937, as a staff photographer for Life from 1933 to 1937 and on photographic assignments for various magazines, including the Smithsonian magazine, from 1942 to 1945. Elisofon traveled extensively in Africa, Asia, Europe and South America documenting the peoples of these lands as well as their arts and environments. A founding member and curatorial associate of the private Museum of African Art, which in 1981 became the National Museum of African Art (NMAfA), Elisofon bequeathed his collection of African photographs to the museum when he died in 1973. To honor Elisofon's contribution to the understanding of African art and culture, NMAfA named its archives after him.

Restrictions:

Use of original records requires an appointment. Contact Archives staff for more details.

Rights:

Permission to reproduce images from the Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives must be obtained in advance. The collection is subject to all copyright laws.

Topic:

Body arts  Search this

Genre/Form:

Negatives

Photographic prints

Color slides

Black-and-white negatives

Black-and-white photographs

Citation:

Eliot Elisofon Field Collection, EEPA 1973-001, Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution

Identifier:

EEPA.1973-001

See more items in:

Eliot Elisofon Field collection

Archival Repository:

Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives, National Museum of African Art

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/xo763575c19-5f10-470a-af8b-75ebd1c82664

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-eepa-1973-001

Collection Creator:

Bell, Alexander Graham, 1847-1922  Search this

Beals, Jessie Tarbox  Search this

Container:

Box 1, Binder 3

Type:

Archival materials

Date:

March 1-April 30, 1907

Collection Restrictions:

No restrictions on access

Collection Rights:

Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at Permissions Requests.

Collection Citation:

Early Aeronautical Newsclippings (Alexander Graham Bell) Collection, Acc. NASM.XXXX.0086, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.

See more items in:

Early Aeronautical News Clippings (Alexander Graham Bell) Collection

Early Aeronautical News Clippings (Alexander Graham Bell) Collection / Series 1: Scrapbooks

Archival Repository:

National Air and Space Museum Archives

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/pg28d596493-4048-435c-9c5b-899958ce4fcf

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-nasm-xxxx-0086-ref509

Creator:

Drewal, Henry John  Search this

Drewal, Margaret Thompson  Search this

Extent:

10,000 Slides (color)

10,617 Copy slides

Container:

Item 10000

Volume 1

Volume 2

Volume 3

Volume 4

Volume 5

Volume 6

Volume 7

Volume 8

Volume 9

Volume 10

Volume 11

Volume 12

Volume 13

Volume 14

Volume 15

Volume 16

Volume 17

Culture:

Ewe (African people)  Search this

Yoruba (African people)  Search this

Igbo (African people)  Search this

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Photographs

Slides

Copy slides

Color slides

Place:

Togo

Africa

Nigeria

Ghana

Sierra Leone

Date:

1970-1989

Summary:

Both Henry John Drewal and Margaret Drewal traveled to Nigeria, Ghana and Togo (West Africa) for extended periods from 1967-1986. During their trips to Nigeria they conducted research into the ritual performance, masking traditions, and traditional sacred rites of the Yoruba people as well as Mami Wata devotes of Togo, Ghana, and Nigeria. They are the co-authors of Gelede: Art and Female Power among the Yoruba (1993).Both Henry John Drewal and Margaret Drewal traveled to Nigeria, Ghana and Togo (West Africa) for extended periods from 1967-1986. During their trips to Nigeria they conducted research into the ritual performance, masking traditions, and traditional sacred rites of the Yoruba people as well as Mami Wata devotes of Togo, Ghana, and Nigeria. They are the co-authors of Gelede: Art and Female Power among the Yoruba (1993).

Photographs taken by Henry John and Margaret Thompson Drewal during the 1970s and 1980s of Yoruba and Ewe art and culture.

Scope and Contents:

The Drewal collection is a photographic documentation of several trips made to the West African countries of Ghana, Nigeria, and Togo to conduct field research. This collection, which consists of over 10,000 color slides (35mm), represents a major portion of the photographs taken by the Drewals during their visits to West Africa from 1967-1986 to conduct field work.

There are several subjects present in this collection. The most prominent being the Egúngún and Gelede rituals and festivals of the Yoruba people of Nigeria. Other subjects found in the collection are Ifá initiation, Òrìsà and Mami Wata festivals, Òrìsà shrines, sacred arts, beading techniques, and traditional and modern architecture. There is a large selection of images specifically of shrines and festivals for Òrìsà such as Sango, Ògún, Agemo, Eyinle and others. Details of implements like the ose Sango, opa Osanyin, and opa Osun can also be seen in the collection.

The Drewals also photographed and documented Yoruba sacred art (i.e. shrine objects; masks) in a number of international museums in Africa, Europe and the United States. Their collection contains images of Yoruba art in the British Museum, London; Nigeria National Museum, Lagos; National Museum of African Art, Washington, D.C.; Everton Museum, New York; and Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago. For a complete listing of slides depicting museum collections see pages 28-33. These images are restricted and can not be reproduced without permission of the copyright holder.

Organization of the Finding Aid:

Drewal, Margaret Thompson. "Symbols of Possession: A Study of Movement and Regalia in an Anago-Yoruba Ceremony." -- Dance Research Journal -- 7, no. 2 (1975).

Drewal, Margaret Thompson and Henry John Drewal. "Gelede: Dance of the Western Yoruba," -- African Arts -- 8, no. 2 (Winter 1975).

Drewal, Henry John. "Efe: Voiced Power and Pagenatry." -- African Arts -- 7, no. 1 (Autumn 1973).

Drewal, Margaret Thompson and Henry John Drewal. "More Powerful than Each Other: An Egbado Classification of Egungun." -- African Arts -- 11, no. 3 (April 1978).

Drewal, Margaret Thompson. "Projections from the Top in Yoruba Art." -- African Arts -- 11, no. 1 (October 1977).

Drewal, Henry John. "Gelede Masquerade: Imagery and Motif." -- African Arts -- 7, no. 4 (Summer 1974).

Drewal, Henry John. "Pageantry and Power in Yoruba Costuming." Justine M. Cordwell and Ronald M. Schwarz, ed. -- The Fabrics of Culture -- . Hauge: Mouton, 1979.

Drewal, Margaret Thompson. "Art and Trance Among Yoruba Sango Devotees." -- African Arts -- 20, no. 1 (November 1986).

Drewal, Henry John. "Flaming Crowns, Cooling Waters: Masquerades of the Ijebu Yoruba" -- African Arts -- 20, no. 1 (November 1986).

Drewal, Henry John. "Mermaids, Mirrors, and Snake Charmers: Igbo Mami Wata Shrines" -- African Arts -- 21, no. 2 (February 1988).

Drewal, Henry John. "Performing the Other: Mami Wata Worship in Africa" -- TDR -- 32, no. 2 (Summer 1988).

Drewal, Henry John. "Beauty and Being: Aesthetics and Ontology in Yoruba Body Art." Arnold Rubin, ed. -- Marks of Civilization: Artistic Transformation of the Human Body -- . Los Angeles, CA, 1988.

Drewal, Henry John, John Pemberton III, Rowland Abiodun. -- Yoruba: Nine Centuries of African Art and Thought -- . NY: Center for African Art in Association with H.N. Abrams, 1989.

Homberger, Lorenz ed. -- Yoruba Art and Aesthetics -- . Zurich: Museum Rietberg; New York: Center for African Art, 1991.

Drewal, Margaret Thompson. -- Yoruba Ritual: Performers, Play, Agency -- . Bloomington and Indianapolis, IN: Indiana University Press, 1992.

Drewal, Henry John and Margaret Thompson Drewal. -- Gelede: Art and Female Power among the Yoruba -- . Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1993.

Abiodun, Rowland, Henry J. Drewal, and John Pemberton III, editors. -- The Yoruba Artist: New Theoretical Perspectives on African Arts -- . Washington DC: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1994.

Drewal, Henry John. "Yoruba Beadwork Beauty Brightness." -- Faces -- 12, no. 1 (September 1995).

This finding aid was organized according to the inherent value of the Drewal collection to art historians, ethnographers, anthropologists, and cultural historians. It has been kept simple but made as detailed as possible while still providing the researcher with references to the images and other valuable research information. The finding aid has been organized into three principal sections:

A. Bibliography of Drewal publications with image numbers; B. Primary keyword subjects: Field images; C. Primary keyword subjects: Art images; and D. Restricted images: B/W copy slides and non-Drewal color slides

A. Bibliography of Drewal publications: The first section contains a bibliography of primary Drewal publications and lists the image numbers for reproductions that appear in either black-and-white or color. These publications are listed chronologically with a corresponding list of image numbers. For the researcher's convenience, all images from the Drewal collection that have been published are listed in a separate column beside the publication in which the picture appears. Due to space restrictions, only the last five digits of the accession numbers are listed in the Image # column.

**Please note that some of the color slides in the collection have been reproduced as black-and-white images in several Drewal publications. A separate column in the bibliographic section indicates whether the image was reproduced in black-and-white or color in the publication. The Elisofon Archives does not currently possess any of the Drewal's black-and-white negatives. For additional information on these images, please contact Drs. Henry John Drewal and Margaret Thompson Drewal.

Example:

Publication Title Image # Gelede: Art and Female Power among the Yoruba, 1993

To further assist researchers, two additional columns have been created to indicate if the image is published in color or black/white.

Example: Publication Title Image # Color Gelede: Art and Female Power among the Yoruba, 1993 • 00000 

B & C. Primary keyword: Field and Art images The second section contains a complete list of images available in the collection, subdivided by field and art images. Field images refer to cultural or natural landscapes shot in Africa and Art images refer to images of objects in museums (or photographed in the field as an object by itself). These images have been categorized by primary keywords (i.e. artisan; leadership; masquerade) and subdivided into subcategories or type within these general keyword subjects (i.e. carvers; chiefs; Egungun).

Example:

Primary Keyword Subcategory Image # Architecture • Modern • 00000

D. Restricted images: The final section lists restricted images in the collection: b/w copy slides from publications and color slides not produced by the Drewals. These images are for study purposes only and not for reproduction.

Arrangement note:

The slides were sent to the Elisofon Archives in several batches. They were arranged according to the Drewals' own system of classification and field notes (see below). This arrangement is roughly by subject and further subdivided by subcategory or type. Slides of museum objects are grouped with field images of similar subject matter. For instance, museum object related to Sango worship can be found with the field images of Sango devotees and shrines.

The Drewals donated copies of their field notes (Red and Blue Books) which correspond to most of the slides found in the collection. The Red and Blue books are arranged in reverse chronological order starting with Blue Book 1977-78.1. Reference numbers to these books appear on the upper left hand corner of the slide (e.g. 78.34.6; 28-11). The majority of the field notes give the date and place where the photos were taken as well as a brief descriptive of the subject of the image related to the note. In some cases, the Òrìsà of a particular town was recorded in addition to how many Òrìsà are worshipped. The Drewals attended several private ceremonies and there are some descriptions of their experiences, however, in most cases not in extensive detail.

There is an additional notebook containing more field notes for years prior to 1975. This notebook has information about the images of museum objects and is a collection of Xeroxed copies of notes on index cards. There are no dates on the copies, but there are reference numbers as with the Red and Blue Books.

Images indexed by negative number.

Biographical / Historical:

Art historian Henry John Drewal received his BA from Hamilton College and two Masters' degrees and a PhD from Columbia University (1973). In between college and graduate school, Drewal served in the Peace Corps, where he taught French and English, organized arts camps in Nigeria, and apprenticed himself to a Yoruba sculptor.

He taught at Cleveland State University (Chair of the Art Department), and was a Visiting Professor at UC-Santa Barbara and SUNY-Purchase. Since 1991 he has been the Evjue-Bascom Professor of Art History and Afro-American Studies at UW-Madison. He has published several books, edited volumes, exhibition catalogues, and many articles and produced a number of films documenting African and African Diaspora arts, and lectured widely on these topics. He has received several NEH and NEA grants, three Fulbright Research Awards (Brazil, Benin, Morocco), a Metropolitan Museum of Art Fellowship, and a Guggenheim Fellowship.

Dr. Margaret Thompson Drewal is an ethnographer, performance theorist, and dance historian. She has conducted extensive research on Yoruba and Afro-Brazilian ritual dance with a special interest in the poetics and politics of performance discourse. She is the author of Performers, Play, and Agency: Yoruba Ritual Process (1989). She has also authored numerous articles that have appeared in such journals as TDR: A Journal of Performance Studies, African Arts, and The Journal Ritual Studies. She is also a trained dancer and choreographer. At present, Dr. Drewal is the Chair of the Department of Performance Studies at North Western University.

There are also video productions by Henry John Drewal and Margaret Thompson Drewal available in the Warren M. Robbins Library. The videos available are "Ẹfẹ/Gẹlẹdẹ Ceremonies among the Western Yoruba," by Henry John Drewal; "Yoruba Performance," by Henry John Drewal; and "Yoruba Ritual: A Companion Video," by Margaret Thompson Drewal.

Cultural Information and Background:

The information found here goes slightly beyond the notes of the Red/Blue Books and index card that accompany the images. Because the Drewal Collection primarily centers on the Yoruba and Mami Wata spiritual traditions and material cultures, the focus of images are of specific implements of the deities and priests, such as staffs, pots, stools, thrones, statues, and bells. Also included in the collection are images of divination, sacrifice, and other important rituals, festivals and ceremonies. What is given here is pertinent background information on the cosmology of the Yoruba and Mami Wata spiritual traditions as it relates to the iconographical focus of the slides.

In Yoruba cosmology, there is a supreme being commonly referred to as Ọlọdumare. Ọlọdumare is essentially understood as being genderless or androgynous. There are no shrines or spiritual implements dedicated to Ọlọdumare. The Yoruba believe that Ọlọdumare is too vast and its power too strong to be channeled into one building or space. Everything is a part of or expresses an aspect of Ọlọdumare. Through the appeasement of the Òrìsà Ọlọdumare is served. The Òrìsà are the emissaries of Ọlọdumare sent to the world to assist their devotees in every day life. There are hundreds of Òrìsà within the Yoruba pantheon. Deities such as Ọbatala, Ifá, Èshù, Ọshún, Shango, Ọsanyin, Yemọja and Oya are worshipped throughout Yorubaland; there are also deities that are specific to particular locations and are not as popular as the aforementioned eight.

Implements of the priests are classified as sacred art. These spiritual tools are not only instruments of the priests, but ultimately, they are tools for the Òrìsà. It is important to understand that the shrines are not the Òrìsà. This very prominent misconception has plagued traditional practitioners both in and out of Yorubaland for centuries. The emphasis of reverence is placed on the spirit associated with the materials used to construct a shrine or ceremonial item and not the item itself. The shrine and other sacred tools serve as vortices to channel the ashe or power of the Òrìsà into the physical world.

Ifá is a term that has been used to refer to the Yoruba traditional spiritual system. However, Ifá also refers to the Òrìsà of divination, Ọrunmila, as well as the system of divination used by the priests of Ọrunmila. Ifá's role as a diviner is so important in Yoruba cosmology that he is referred to as Ẹlẹri ipin, ibikéjì Ọlọdumare (witness to all destinies, second only to Ọlọdumare). The Drewals were allowed to follow the process of three initiations and other sacred rituals performed by priests. Certain rituals cannot be witnessed by non-initiates; however the Drewals were able to photograph many of the sacred rites of the initiation process. The roles of the Ifá priest vary. Divining is a very important role of the Ifá priest, and the tools used to divine are also sacred. There is a section of the collection dedicated to images of divination tools and the Ifá shrine.

Èshù is another one of the most important deities within Yoruba cosmology. Èshù is the keeper of ashe and the inspector of all sacrifices. His image is carved into the top of the Ifá divination tray (ọpọn Ifá) because he is a witness to all actions, thoughts, and events. According to Yoruba cosmology, he is an unbiased observer who will convey only the truth of any subject. Both Ifá and Èshù assist devotees in overcoming unsavory circumstances and bad luck, according to the Yoruba. There are many roads (aspects) of Èshù, each performing a specific duty in a devotee's life. Shigidi is one of the more powerful aspects of Èshù. One can see the noticeable differences between the Shigidi and the yangi (laterite or sculpted clay used to create an Èshù shrine).

The implements that are found on traditional Òrìsà shrines are based on Yoruba mythology. For instance, the odo Shango, ritual mortar, is found on almost all shrines dedicated to this particular Òrìsà. The legend goes that he used an inverted mortar to kill a leopard that was terrorizing the people of Enpe. The odo Shango is sometimes used to support the container that holds the "thunderstones" (lightning struck stones) of Shango's shrine. The inverted mortar is also used as a stool for priests or initiates to sit. Shango's priests usually keep their hair braided, even if the priest is male. Equestrian figures are utilized in both Shango and Oya sacred art. Oya is the only female deity in the Yoruba pantheon that has ever been depicted riding a horse. Yoruba mythology states that Oya is a warrior goddess who accompanies her husband, Shango into battle and fights by his side. Together the husband and wife team is associated with thunderstorms. Oya is mythically related to the winds that precede the thunder and lightning that are both said to be associated with Shango.

There are several types of staffs or dance wands seen in the Drewal collection. In the case of dance wands, they are often times utilized during spirit possession. In some instances, the shrine of the Òrìsà is only the staff of that particular deity. Such is the case with the ọpa Osun, a deity associated with Ifá and his devotees and the ọpa Òrìsà Oko, the deity of agriculture.

The Ogboni society (also known as Osugbo) possesses a mixture of spiritual and governmental power within the traditional Yoruba community. It was the foundation of order in traditional Yoruba society. The focus of worship and veneration amongst Ogboni members is Onilẹh, the Owner of the land or Earth. Sometimes one may hear the term Onileh, Owner of the house, instead. Both pronunciations can be used and carry significant meaning in either case. However, the consensus of scholarly research associates Ogboni with the Earth. In that case the term Onilẹh is more suitable.

Egúngún and Gelede festivals are of significant importance amongst the Yoruba. The Egúngún society is dedicated to the veneration and appeasement of honorable ancestors. This can take place in private or public. Families celebrate their deceased relatives' lives and accomplishments privately through sacrifice, prayer and celebration. In a public arena ancestors from the community are given recognition. The Yoruba have long believed that community solidarity and welfare begins with the family. In honoring one's personal ancestors as well as benevolent community ancestors, the family receives the blessings of those that reside in the spiritual realm—those who have become ara ọrun, or the people of heaven. Because the Yoruba believe in reincarnation, it is thought that the ancestors will one day return to the material world in a future lifetime. If proper rituals and prayers are performed, the spirits returning will have a better chance of being assets to society by hopefully making positive contributions to the elevation of the Yoruba people.

Gelede is always a public event. The time of year which the festival will take place is dependent on the locality in which the festival is being held. Gelede focuses mainly on the feminine and the role of women in society. Female deities such as Yemọja, Olókun, and Ilẹh are associated with Gelede. Another aspect of major importance to Gelede is the inclusion of Ìyánla, the Great Mother, which is a reference to Onilè. This reference is but one facet that connects Gelede to the Ogboni society. It is also during the Gelede festival that Awọn Ìyá Wa, Our Mothers or the Mothers, are petitioned and appeased so that they may not interfere with the positive efforts of the community.

Both the Egúngún and Gelede festivals help to ensure prosperity, abundance, and fertility of the people. It is through these festivals that indecent conduct is addressed in hopes of exorcising the root of such behavior. It is believed that bringing any disgraceful and inhumane acts to the forefront encourages individuals to act responsibly in all matters.

The final subject presented in the Drewal Collection is of the Mami Wata traditions in West Africa. Representations of Mami Wata often include foreign images, usually of Indian gods, to describe the attributes of Mami Wata as a deity. The term Mami Wata refers to a water spirit or a collective of water spirits. The names associated with the original African water spirit(s) have long been forgotten in some regions of West Africa where Mami Wata is worshipped. However, in other areas, the term Mami Wata is interchangeable with the indigenous name used to identify the water spirit(s). There are variations to the worship of Mami Wata throughout West Africa, yet similarities prevail. Togo is most popularly associated with the Mami Wata tradition. Most of the slides featuring Mami Wata devotees in the Drewal Collection were taken in Togo.

Related Materials:

Additional photographs by Henry John Drewal held at the EEPA are located within the collection: Henry John Drewal Collection, EEPA 2010-010.

Restrictions:

Use of original records requires an appointment. Contact Archives staff for more details.

Rights:

Permission to reproduce images from the Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives must be obtained in advance. Copyright held by John and Margaret Drewal. To publish images from this collection, permission must be given by Henry and Margaret Drewal. Contact Archives staff for further information. The collection is subject to all copyright laws.

Genre/Form:

Color slides

Citation:

Henry and Margaret Drewal Photographs, EEPA 1992-028, Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Identifier:

EEPA.1992-028

See more items in:

Henry John Drewal and Margaret Thompson Drewal Collection

Archival Repository:

Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives, National Museum of African Art

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/xo75d71915f-d8ca-4633-a51c-c73dae691495

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-eepa-1992-028

Photographer:

Livingstone, Ivan  Search this

Names:

Celestial Church of Christ  Search this

Extent:

527 Slides (photographs) (color , 35mm.)

Culture:

Fon (African people)  Search this

Fula (African people)  Search this

Dan (African people)  Search this

Oyo (African people)  Search this

Ifè (African people)  Search this

Yoruba (African people)  Search this

Somba (African people)  Search this

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Slides (photographs)

Color slides

Place:

Porto-Novo (Benin)

Ife (Nigeria)

Togo

Nigeria

Ghana

Dahomey

Benin

Africa

Date:

1972-1973

Summary:

The collection contains 527 color 35mm slides taken by Ivan Livingstone in West Africa (primarily the Republic of Benin but also in Ghana, Nigeria and Togo) circa 1972-1973. Images depict market scenes, Egúngún and Ifa ceremonies, religious ceremonies of the Celestial Church of Christ, funeral processions, decoration and ornament, clothing and dress, and musicians. There are also several images of the palace of the Oni of Ife. Culture groups represented in the collection include the Yoruba, Ifè, Oyo, Somba, Fon,Dan and Fula peoples.

Arrangement note:

Arranged by original photographer's series and classified by EEPA subject headings.

Biographical/Historical note:

Ivan Livingstone is an Afro-Canadian scholar and photographer of Jamaican and Guianese descent. He was raised in Verdun, a working-class suburb of Montreal. Livingstone has taught at McGill University in Montreal, Laval University in Quebec City, and in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Benin.

Restrictions:

Use of original records requires an appointment. Contact Archives staff for more details.

Rights:

Permission to reproduce images from the Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives must be obtained in advance. The collection is subject to all copyright laws.

Topic:

Marketplaces  Search this

Ramadan  Search this

Clothing and dress  Search this

Decoration and ornament  Search this

Egúngún (Cult)  Search this

Rites and ceremonies  Search this

Funeral rites and ceremonies  Search this

Ifa (Religion)  Search this

Genre/Form:

Color slides

Citation:

Ivan Livingstone Photographs, Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Identifier:

EEPA.1996-004

See more items in:

Ivan Livingstone photographs

Archival Repository:

Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives, National Museum of African Art

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/xo793ecc793-4c15-4657-8ff0-39f970d0acef

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-eepa-1996-004

Collection Creator:

Smithsonian Institution. Department of Anthropology. Division of Physical Anthropology  Search this

Hrdlička, Aleš, 1869-1943  Search this

Extent:

1 Photomechanical print (005 in x 007 in)

Culture:

Togo  Search this

Type:

Archival materials

Photomechanical prints

Photographs

Date:

undated

Local Numbers:

NAA INV.07043301

Local Note:

Published in Anthropos Pamphlet

Black and white photomechanical print

Place:

Togo

Genre/Form:

Photographs

See more items in:

Division of Physical Anthropology Photograph Collection

Division of Physical Anthropology Photograph Collection / Asiatics / Indian-Like / Clippings

Archival Repository:

National Anthropological Archives

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/nw39e536b27-d1f1-4550-b26e-c8904101a189

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-naa-photolot-8-ref1315

Collection Creator:

Smithsonian Institution. Department of Anthropology. Division of Physical Anthropology  Search this

Hrdlička, Aleš, 1869-1943  Search this

Extent:

1 Photomechanical print (004 in x 007 in mounted on 008 in x 011 in)

Culture:

Togo  Search this

Type:

Archival materials

Photomechanical prints

Photographs

Date:

undated

Local Numbers:

NAA INV.07043602

Local Note:

Published in Anthropos Pamphlet

Black and white photomechanical print on paper mount

Place:

Togo

Genre/Form:

Photographs

See more items in:

Division of Physical Anthropology Photograph Collection

Division of Physical Anthropology Photograph Collection / Asiatics / Indian-Like / Clippings

Archival Repository:

National Anthropological Archives

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/nw377956055-59ef-4905-a69e-3e26cceb93f8

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-naa-photolot-8-ref1328

Collection Creator:

Smithsonian Institution. Department of Anthropology. Division of Physical Anthropology  Search this

Hrdlička, Aleš, 1869-1943  Search this

Extent:

1 Photomechanical print (004 in x 006 in)

Culture:

Togo  Search this

Type:

Archival materials

Photomechanical prints

Photographs

Date:

undated

Local Numbers:

NAA INV.07459801

Local Note:

Black and white photomechanical print

Place:

Togo

Genre/Form:

Photographs

See more items in:

Division of Physical Anthropology Photograph Collection

Division of Physical Anthropology Photograph Collection / Negritos / Negrito (Africans)

Archival Repository:

National Anthropological Archives

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/nw33a64920c-3588-4c12-bb78-c0d316d7610b

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-naa-photolot-8-ref7800