Dance hat
Senufo · Côte d’Ivoire
Reference: TCD-9
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- Material
- Vegetable fibres, cauris, seeds
Old senufus hat used by the dancers, members of the Pore, who carry the deblé. Object magnificently preserved what constitutes its rarity. It consists of braided…
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Full original description
Old senufus hat used by the dancers, members of the Pore, who carry the deblé. Object magnificently preserved what constitutes its rarity. It consists of braided vegetable fibers decorated with cauris, small seeds and a piece of mirror on each side.
From the first contacts of the Africans with the white man they were attracted by mirrors, which appeared abundantly in the dawns of the slave ships carrying numerous pacotilla and weapons as payment of the captured slaves and in exchange for gold, ivory, stones and precious metals.
The property of the mirror of being able to reflect the image granted him a magical, almost supernatural power. He soon became adopted by fortune tellers and sorcerers for his magical practices. Thanks to its reflective properties, it helps the diviner to see the hereafter, to see what lies beyond its surface, just as the view probes the deep waters through the surface sheet of the water.
In their first contacts with the mirror, many Africans thought that the mirror had stolen their soul or personality, as they were reflected in it.
Patina of very old use.
Further technical information
- Width
- 19 cm
- Attributed period
- First third of the century XX.
Details transcribed from the original catalogue; they are not a recent physical inspection.
Country on the map
Côte d’Ivoire. The country associated with the catalog is shown, not the current location of the piece.
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Attributions, dates and accounts come from the preserved catalogue. They do not constitute certification of authenticity or provenance. An object’s presence on this website does not mean it is available for sale.
