Object Details
Maker
Lower Niger Bronze Industry
Label Text
Cast by the lost-wax method, this bell is attributed by scholars to the "Lower Niger Bronze Industry" style, an interim designation coined by William Fagg in 1959. Archeological discoveries may one day provide more conclusive information about the object's origin. It may have been part of a shrine's paraphernalia, and its motifs may symbolize physical aggression and supernatural powers.
Description
Cast copper alloy conical bell with human face in high relief and a loop on top.
Provenance
Philippe Guimiot, Paris, 1974
Emile M. Deletaille, Brussels, 1974 to 1985
Exhibition History
Ways of the River: Arts and Environment of the Niger Delta, Fowler Museum of Cultural History at University of California, Los Angeles, April 18-November 17, 2002
Published References
Anderson, Martha G. and Philip M. Peek (eds). 2002. Ways of the Rivers: Arts and Environment of the Niger Delta. Los Angeles: Fowler Museum of Cultural History, University of California, p. 43, no. 1.9.
Content Statement
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Credit Line
Museum purchase
Date
17th-19th century
Object number
85-1-7
Restrictions & Rights
Usage conditions apply
Type
Sculpture
Medium
Copper alloy
Dimensions
H x W x D: 15.1 x 7.5 x 7.4 cm (5 15/16 x 2 15/16 x 2 15/16 in.)
Geography
Nigeria
See more items in
National Museum of African Art Collection
Data Source
National Museum of African Art
Topic
Shrine/Altar
Human
male
Link to Original Record
Record ID
nmafa_85-1-7