Pendant

Accession Number
2000/2.87

Title
Pendant

Artist(s)

Object Creation Date
circa 1890-1920

Medium & Support
brass

Dimensions
7 1/16 in x 1 3/8 in (17.94 cm x 3.49 cm)

Credit Line
Gift of Dr. James and Vivian Curtis

Subject matter
This object listed as made by Kirdi peoples, while most likely correct, is not without issue. “Kirdi”, meaning pagan, was the label given to the various peoples from northern Cameroon, northeastern Nigeria, and southern Chad by neighboring Fulani and Kanuri peoples because they did not practice Islam, while the latter do. The people collectively known as “Kirdi” are actually many different cultural groups with their own customs. However, due to a lack of information on where exactly this object came from, it is not possible to say with certainty which group of people created it.

Although it is unclear exactly what this object is, it could have been a pendant for a woman's apron or belt, a pendant for a necklace, or the foundation piece for a woman's apron. Objects of a similar shape and size have been seen in many of these contexts. 

References Cited: 
Gebauer, Paul. 1979. Art of Cameroon. Portland, Or.: Portland Art Museum. 
Lembezat, Bertrand. 1961. Les populations païennes du Nord-Cameroun et de l'Adamaoua. Paris: Presses Universitaires de France.
Lembezat, Bertrand. 1952. Mukulehe; un clan montagnard du Nord-Cameroun; coutumes, rites, croyances. Paris: Berger-Levrault.
Northern, Tamara. 1984. The Art of Cameroon. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution. 
Page, Donna. 2007. A Cameroon World. New York: QCC Art Gallery Press.

Physical Description
Brass rod with a round loop at one end and a crotal bell at the other end. The loop has an incised geometric pattern and the bell has incised grooves and raised circles around the outside edge. 

Primary Object Classification
Jewelry

Primary Object Type
pendant

Collection Area
African

Rights
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please visit http://umma.umich.edu/request-image for more information and to fill out the online Image Rights and Reproductions Request Form. Keywords
cache-sexes
ceremonial costume
costume accessories
social status
symbols of office or status
wealth
women (female humans)

& Author Notes

Web Use Permitted