Lidded Gunpowder Container

Before 1878

Not on view

A lidded container for gun powder with a bulbous body topped by a cylindrical neck. At the summit, a thin disk-shaped lid keeps the content enclosed. A leather string passes through metal loops and keeps the lid joined to the body. The work's wooden surface is covered by either reptile (varan) skin affixed to the wooden core with adorning rows of tapestry nails, or hammered brass.

This distinctive gun power container is a rare example of a genre of personal object owned by prominent individuals in a Fang community. Its use of hammered brass and reptile skin (varan) is characteristic of the region's craftsmanship, displayed on a range of objects, from knifes' sheath to the surfaces of certain reliquary elements.

Artwork Details

Overview

Provenance

Title: Lidded Gunpowder Container
Date: Before 1878
Geography: Gabon
Culture: Fang
Medium: Wood, copper, reptile skin, nails
Dimensions: H. 7 1/4 × W. 6 3/8 × D. 6 1/8 in. (18.4 × 16.2 × 15.6 cm)
Classifications: Wood-Containers, Metal-Containers
Credit Line: Gift of Bernard Dulon, 2019
Object Number: 2019.479a, b
Curatorial Department: The Michael C. Rockefeller Wing

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