ClassificationsAfrican Art
Divination Figure, Pomdo
Possible OriginLiberia, Africa
Possible OriginSierra Leone, Africa
Possible OriginGuinea, Africa
CultureKissi
Datelate 19th-early 20th Century
Credit LineEx coll. William S. Arnett
Dimensions20 7/8 x 18 7/8 x 15 1/2 in. (53 x 48 x 39.4 cm)
Object number1994.004.162
Label TextThis figure, used for divination by the Kissi people, is called a pomdo or piamdo (pl. pomtan), a word derived from the term for the deceased. It consists of a sculpted wooden head and neck which extend downward to a cavity which once contained spiritually powerful materials. Such materials are usually emptied from the pomtan before they are sold to outsiders, as is the case with this piece. Their contents sometimes include the traditional money shaped from iron and the stone figures also known as pomtan.The lower enclosure is covered by a skirt consisting of multiple layers of cloth. The outermost layer is hand-woven cotton country cloth that has been dyed with indigo. Other layers are of imported cotton cloth, some of which have been tie-dyed in the style of the Kissi's Muslim neighbors. Additional decoration and perhaps spiritual efficacy is provided by the figure's necklace, which features an agate bead and animal teeth or claws.
Exhibition HistoryMCCM Permanent Collection Installation, Rotation 1, December 15, 1995 - February 1997
MCCM Permanent Collection Installation, Rotation 2, February 1997 - July 1998
Published ReferencesThe West Guinea Coast: An Exhibition of African Art from the Collection of William and Robert Arnett (Atlanta: Agnes Scott College, 1975).
ProvenanceEx coll. William S. Arnett (1939-2020), Atlanta, Georgia.
Status
Not on viewCollections
- African Art
20th Century
16th Century (?)
late 19th-early 20th Century
1st Century BCE-1st Century CE
late 19th-late 20th Century
1st - 2nd century CE
19th Century or later
ca. 16th Century
305-30 BCE
305-30 BCE
Parallel Number 1/Parallel Number 2
