ClassificationsAfrican Art
Scepter with Human Face Finial
Place CreatedAngola, Africa
CultureOvimbundu
Datelate 19th Century
MediumWood, pigment
Credit LineGift of Bonnie Speed in Honor of Charles Ackerman
Dimensions20 x 2 1/2 in. (50.8 x 6.4 cm)
Object number2005.038.001
Label TextThis delicately carved Ovimbundu scepter was collected in the late 19th century by Capitao Passos, a Portuguese official stationed in the Planalto de Moxico province of central Angola. During the 19th century, the Ovimbundu served as the coastal link to Portuguese-sponsored trade routes with the Angolan interior. As chiefs and traders gained wealth through trade, they commissioned objects to illustrate their political and financial status. In addition to a protective function, scepters served as emblems of rank. Images of women with delicate facial features and elaborate coiffures are common for Ovimbundu scepters. This imagery likely reflects a conscious emulation of the court arts of the powerful Luba kingdom to the north, with which some Ovimbundu chiefs formed alliances. Club-like scepters emulate actual weapons used against raiders. The precise incised patterning seen on this scepter is a hallmark of central Angolan carving styles, as is the addition of multiple miniaturized carvings of duiker horns that represent supernatural empowerment.ProvenanceSaid to have been collected by Capitao Passos in Moxico, Angola, late 19th Century. Purchased by Bonnie Speed, United States, from Bonhams London, July 20, 2005, lot 189.
Status
Not on viewCollections
- African Art
late 19th Century
20th Century
late 19th-late 20th Century
after 1912
1400-1353 BCE
664-525 BCE
3rd Century CE
2nd Century CE
19th Century or later
20th Century
late 19th-early 20th Century
Parallel Number 1/Parallel Number 2
