COLLECTION NAME:
The AMICA Library
Record
AMICA ID:
CMA_.1976.29
AMICA Library Year:
2003
Object Type:
Sculpture
Creator Nationality:
Africa, Sierra Leone, Sape, 16th century
Creator Name-CRT:
Africa, Sierra Leone, Sape, 16th century
Title:
Seated Figure (nomoli)
Title Type:
Primary
View:
Detail
Creation Date:
early 1500s
Creation Start Date:
1500
Creation End Date:
1530
Materials and Techniques:
soapstone (steatite)
Classification Term:
Sculpture
Style or Period:
Africa, Sierra Leone, Sape, 16th century
Dimensions:
Overall: 23.8cm
AMICA Contributor:
The Cleveland Museum of Art
Owner Location:
Cleveland, Ohio, USA
ID Number:
1976.29
Credit Line:
Gift of Lucile Munro in memory of her husband Thomas Munro, Curator of Education from 1931 to 1967
Provenance:
Heim, Paris
Context:
Soapstone figures are found in Sierra Leone, buried in forests and along rivers. Scholars believe these figures were carved by the Sape, who fled the invading Mande-speaking peoples around 1550. The Mende and Kissi people who inhabit the region today attribute the carvings to their ancestors. The Kissi place the figures on their household altars and perform rites to identify the associated spirits.
Related Image Identifier Link:
CMA_.1976.29det02.tif
