Description
The rooster-shaped container proffered by this kneeling female figure was made to hold kola nuts, which are shared with guests as a gesture of hospitality. The sculpture’s surface is rubbed with washing blue, a laundry aid used to prevent white clothes from yellowing. The color blue carries special significance for the Yoruba. Expressing coolness, it is associated with water and water deities as well as admired qualities such as purity, discretion, and composure.
Provenance
Galerie Monbrison, Paris, by 1977 [confirmation by Alain de Monbrison; statement by William Fagg dated Sept. 26, 1977 in curatorial file]. Pace Primitive and Ancient Art, New York, N.Y., by 1977 [invoice no. 1351 in curatorial file dated Nov. 30, 1977]; sold to the Art Institute, 1977.
Accession Number
94133
Medium
Wood, pigment, glass beads, and thread
Dimensions
43.2 × 31.2 × 24.2 cm (17 × 12 1/4 × 9 1/2 in.)
Classification
sculpture
Credit Line
Ada Turnbull Hertle Fund