The Head of an African American Man | ||
| Folk Art339 of 2611 |  |  |
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Posted 4 years ago
ho2cultcha
(5051 items)
This piece seems very old and has me very confused as to what it is. A bust with holes to mount it on something. It is made of red/brown clay with a black slip for the hair and moustache. There is something like red ochre in the eye sockets and nostrils. Reminds me of Southern face jugs sort of, but not completely. it's quite heavy and hollow on top of the head as if to attach a wig to it.
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The hollow on top of his head may have been to hold a plant....succulents perhaps, or twisted reed for a wild ‘hair do’.
He would be fantastic attached to the wall of courtyard....he would be quite the surprise!
I was thinking mounted to a wall and put incense down inside his head and let his nose smoke. Wouldn't ne difficult to block off the head top or he may have had a hat etc. at some point. I know pre Columbian the Mayan's use such things around altars of sacrifice to burn incense. Perhaps others did also.
This piece is really old. Those who have handled lots of old pieces can tell when they handle something that is old. I think it's late 19th c and a really interesting piece. One person on another site said immediately - late 19th c string holder - the string comes out the nose, but i'm not convinced because of lack of wear there. Oddly, i found some pieces that are reminiscent in African masks - the same whistling or blowing face and eyes. The Nok artifacts often show men with little moustaches with this whistling/blowing face. The Nok are thought to be the oldest artifacts of an advanced civilization in Africa.
i found this: https://www.liveauctioneers.com/en-gb/item/41813039_african-american-bust-end-of-the-day-sewer-tile
Yours is definitely the “prettiest”!