Object Details
Maker
Pende artist
Label Text
This bicorn chief's headress alludes to the strength and power of the buffalo as it refers to the associated powers of Pende chieftancy. Stylistic elements that identify this headress include the appendages or horns on each side, the central knoblike proturberance and a finial at the crown. Among the Pende, these headresses are called misango mapende. The form is said to have originated in the Lunda region, and since the 1940s, Yaka and Suku chiefs have purchased this type of beaded headress from their Pende neighbors.
Description
Plant fiber hat with projecting inverted cone knobs on top, front and back and forward projecting side horns. Hat has covered overall with glass beadwork in red yellow, white and blue lines and triangles .
Provenance
Eliot Elisofon, New York, collected near Gungu, Zaire in 1966-67 to 1970
Exhibition History
Africa ReViewed: The Photographic Legacy of Eliot Elisofon, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., November 21, 2013-December 14, 2014
Art and History Gallery at the Corning Museum, Corning, NY, April 7, 1995-November 22, 1998
African Emblems of Status, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., October 29, 1982-April 3, 1983
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 Please note that some records are incomplete (missing image or content descriptions) and others reflect out-of-date language or systems of thought regarding how to engage with and discuss cultural heritage and the specifics of individual artworks.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/
Credit Line
Gift of Eliot Elisofon
Date
Mid-20th century
Object number
70-34-39
Restrictions & Rights
Usage conditions apply
Type
Textile and Fiber Arts
Medium
Glass beads, plant fiber
Dimensions
H x W x D: 17.1 x 38.6 x 30.4 cm (6 3/4 x 15 3/16 x 11 15/16 in.)
Geography
Democratic Republic of the Congo
See more items in
National Museum of African Art Collection
Data Source
National Museum of African Art
Topic
Leadership
Male use
male
Link to Original Record
Record ID
nmafa_70-34-39