Object Details
Maker
Lobi artist
Label Text
Leather boots of this type form part of ceremonial or status dress worn by men in northern Ghana. Art historians Herbert M. Cole and Doran H. Ross document dress of this style among the Lobi of Birifu, but note that it was made and likely sold in the northern market town of Bolgatanga. Dress of this type is considered to convey the prestige of Islam leading to its adoption beyond Islamic centers.
Description
Brown leather boots with inlays of blue green leather in strips and rows of triangles. Part of a set including a triangular brown leather bag with fringe (2013-2-3).
Provenance
Ambassador Fred Latimer Hadsel and Winifred Nelson Hadsel, 1971-1974 to 2010
Christine Hadsel, 2010 to 2013
Published References
Curnow, Kathy. 2014. At Home in Africa: Design, Beauty, and Pleasing Irregularity in Domestic Settings. Cleveland: The Galleries at Cleveland State University.
Content Statement
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Credit Line
Gift of Ambassador and Mrs. Fred L. Hadsel
Date
Mid-20th century
Object number
2013-2-2
Restrictions & Rights
Usage conditions apply
Type
Textile and Fiber Arts
Medium
Leather, dye
Dimensions
Each boot, flattened: 49 x 28 x 3 cm (19 5/16 x 11 x 1 3/16 in.)
Geography
Ghana
See more items in
National Museum of African Art Collection
Data Source
National Museum of African Art
Topic
Male use
geometric motif
male
Link to Original Record
Record ID
nmafa_2013-2-2