Powder Horn

Accession Number
2000/2.90

Title
Powder Horn

Artist(s)

Object Creation Date
circa 1890-1920

Medium & Support
brass, string, beads, and cork

Dimensions
5 1/2 in x 1 15/16 in x 1 3/16 in (13.97 cm x 4.92 cm x 3.02 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.
Cast from brass, powder horns were once prestige items. They are part of a group of objects related to smoking, including brass pipes and snuff containers.

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 horn with a string of brass and red beads attached to a cork stopper. The top edge and bottom edge of the horn are decorated with incised braided patterns. 

Primary Object Classification
Metalwork

Primary Object Type
vessel

Collection Area
African

Rights
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Objects We Use
beads
smoking (activity)
storage containers
tobacco (material)

1 Related Resource

Visual Cultures of Islam- Metalwork
(Part of: Visual Cultures of Islam )

& Author Notes

Web Use Permitted