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Fragment of a Justice Staff (mihango)

Fragment of a Justice Staff (mihango)

Unknown

The Pende idealize calmness, consensus, and reconciliation as feminine attributes, signified by the downcast eyes and composed demeanor of the female figures. Both men and women are capable of these traits. While mediating disputes, a Pende juror signals his conciliatory intent by pounding the staff’s iron rod (missing) into the earth.
Artist
Unknown (Congolese, Pende People)
Title
Fragment of a Justice Staff (mihango)
Date
mid-20th century
Medium
Wood
Dimensions
34 1/2 x 2 5/16 x 2 1/8 in. Overall
Credit
J. David and Laura Seefried Horsfall Endowment Fund purchase
Accession No.
1997.29
Classification
Sculpture
Geography
Democratic Republic of Congo

Related

1997, sold by Gallery DeRoche (San Francisco, CA) to the Elvehjem Art Museum [now called the Chazen Museum of Art] (Madison, WI)

  • Exhibition gallery guide, "Revealing Forms: African Art from the Elvehjem Collection." 2002.
  • Drewal, Henry John. "African Art at the Elvehjem." Bulletin/Biennial Report 2001-2003. Elvehjem Museum of Art (2003): 16-36. pp. 16-36

  • Revealing Forms: African Art from the Collection: Elvehjem Museum of Art, 4/20/2002–6/16/2002

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