Chased Copper African? Art - Any thoughts?

Discussion in 'Tribal Art' started by OldWhitby, Jan 17, 2022.

  1. OldWhitby

    OldWhitby Anything Old

    This was part of an auction joblot. I'm guessing it is African and most likely a tourist piece. Can it be attributed to a particular tribe, location or date?
    It is 11" high x 5.5" wide.
    I am puzzled by the fact that whoever did it put a lot of work into the centre panel but the border is very uneven and crude.

    Image363.jpg Image365.jpg Image364.jpg
     
    singing likes this.
  2. 2manybooks

    2manybooks Well-Known Member

    The figure may represent an east African farmer (possibly Kenyan, possibly Kikuyu), carrying a hoe over her shoulder. Farmers are primarily women (even though the figure on the tray does not emphasize female traits). Traditional clothing is a cloth or hide dress, worn over one shoulder. She carries a water gourd (less likely, a pottery jar) on her head - another typical female activity. The hoe blade appears to be made from a scapula, which would have been an antiquated form. Most Africans had access to metals during the historic period, and metal hoe blades were made by local blacksmiths. The form is similar to this example from Zimbabwe:
    [​IMG]
    https://anthro.amnh.org/anthropology/databases/common/image_dup.cfm?catno=90.1/ 6834

    No idea as to date. But I agree with your identification of it as souvenir art. It is not a form I have seen before.
     
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