Object Details
- Fulbe artist
- Label Text
- Married Fulbe women wear large gold earrings, called kwottenai, to display and reflect personal and family wealth. They are handed down from mother to daughter or are purchased by a husband as a gift to his wife. Because the Fulbe lead a nomadic life that is devoted to cattle herding and trading, most objects indicative of wealth and prestige must be portable.
- These earrings are formed from gold bars that have been beaten into thin blades and are then twirled out from the anchor points. Often the blades are incised with figures, flowers or cattles. The mercantile value of these earrings is calculated by the weight of the gold, but the artistry of the goldsmith contributes greatly to the owner's prestige in possessing the earrings.
- Description
- Gold alloy earring of hammered gold formed into three lobes with gold loop wrapped in red fiber.
- Exhibition History
- Visionary: Viewpoints on Africa's Arts, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., November 4, 2017-ongoing
- The Artistry of African Currency, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., March 12-July 23, 2000
- History, Context, Materials: Selections from the Permanent Collection of the National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., November 12, 1985-January 5, 1986
- Patterns and Forms, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., August 20-September 16, 1984
- Published References
- Robbins, Warren M. and Nancy I. Nooter. 1989. African Art in American Collections. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press, p. 531, nos. 1415-1416.
- Content Statement
- As part of our commitment to accessibility and transparency, the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art is placing its collection records online. Please note that some records are incomplete (missing image or content descriptions) and others reflect out-of-date language or systems of thought regarding how to engage with and discuss cultural heritage and the specifics of individual artworks. If you see content requiring immediate action, we will do our best to address it in a timely manner. Please email nmafacuratorial@si.edu if you have any questions.
- Image Requests
- High resolution digital images are not available for some objects. For publication quality photography and permissions, please contact the Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives at https://africa.si.edu/research/eliot-elisofon-photographic-archives/
- Credit Line
- Acquisition funds donated by the Friends of the National Museum of African Art and by Robert and Nancy Nooter, and museum purchase
- Mid-late 20th century
- Object number
- 84-6-5.1
- Restrictions & Rights
- Usage conditions apply
- Type
- Jewelry
- Medium
- Gold alloy, fiber
- Dimensions
- H x W x D: 7 x 8.3 x 5.7 cm (2 3/4 x 3 1/4 x 2 1/4 in.)
- Geography
- Mali
- See more items in
- National Museum of African Art Collection
- Exhibition
- Visionary: Viewpoints on Africa's Arts
- On View
- NMAfA, Second Level Gallery (2193)
- Object Name
- kwottenai
- National Museum of African Art
- Topic
- Status
- Adornment
- Female use
- male
- Record ID
- nmafa_84-6-5.1
- GUID (Link to Original Record)
- http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ys753932c3a-0a33-4dba-ab51-a54a0f71d8bc
