Emblem of the Leopard Society
CultureEjagham
Dateearly-mid-20th century
MediumMixed media of raffia, grasscloth, and found objects (including a bottle, plate, and drum)
DimensionsOverall: 34 × 34 × 8 inches (86.36 × 86.36 × 20.32 cm)
Credit LineGift of S. Thomas Alexander III and Laura L. Rogers
Object number2005.36.A-D
On View
Not on viewCollections
DescriptionA braided suspension loop sits atop a large rectangular woven fiber mat which is surrounded by woven tufts of rafia. Secured to the mat are skulls and bones of various animals; two brooms; a centrally located short, wooden drum with a hole in its membrane; a wooden club; and a slender, folded woven mat. Hooked over the horn of a skull at the top, left corner of the screen is a strap that is tied around one of the brooms and eventually is looped through a wooden mat from which two small animal horns dangle from cords. A glass bottle and corroded enameled metal plate hang from the hook of an elongated section of bone. Separate from the screen, though once attached to it, is a large, heavy wooden drum that has a nail stuck behind what appears to be a metal patch. The entire screen is covered with soot and dirt.ProvenanceAcquired in the village of Mamfe, Cross River region, Cameroon grasslands, by S. Thomas Alexander III (1942-2021), St. Louis, MO, by December 16, 2005 [1];
His gift, with Laura L. Rogers, to The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City, MO, 2005.
NOTES:
[1] According to S. Thomas Alexander III, in a letter to Ann Erbacher, Registrar, December 16, 2005, NAMA Registration files.
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