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Today Open today 11–8

Pendant Depicting a Tortoise

A work made of copper alloy.

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  • A work made of copper alloy.

Date:

Early/mid–20th century

Artist:

Senufo
Côte d’Ivoire or Burkina Faso
Northern Africa and the Sahel

About this artwork

Ornaments made of copper alloys are generally commissioned by individuals on the recommendation of a diviner as a means to encourage spiritual intervention in the resolution of individual problems or goals. This ornament is in the form of a turtle—an animal thought by the Senufo to have special ties to the spiritual world. The large round eyes and circular feet add emphasis to the neatly coiled rings of the turtle’s body. The flat, broad tail looks more like that of a fish than a turtle, but it probably made the object easier to grasp.

Status

Currently Off View

Department

Arts of Africa

Culture

Senufo

Title

Pendant Depicting a Tortoise

Place

Côte d'Ivoire (Object made in)

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

1901–1975

Medium

Copper alloy

Dimensions

Approx.: H.: 5.1 cm (2 in.)

Credit Line

Gift of Richard Faletti, the Faletti Family Collection

Reference Number

2006.121

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

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