About this artwork
The neck of this head was once partially inserted into the lid of a cylindrical bark container holding selected skull and skeletal remains of an honored ancestor. Stored in the corner of a man’s sleeping room, the sculpture and box protected the ancestor’s bones and kept his power within reach of his descendants. The copper-alloy inserts in the eyes reflect light in the dark, and would have startled any intruder while adding to the head’s aura.
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Status
- On View, Gallery 137
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Department
- Arts of Africa
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Culture
- Fang
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Title
- Head
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Place
- Gabon (Object made in)
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Date
- 1850–1899
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Medium
- Wood and copper
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Dimensions
- H.: 39.4 cm (15 1/2 in.)
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Credit Line
- Frederick W. Renshaw Acquisition Fund; Robert Allerton and Ada Turnbull Hertle endowments; Robert Allerton Income Fund; Gladys N. Anderson Endowment
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Reference Number
- 2006.127
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IIIF Manifest
- https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/187528/manifest.json