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Funerary screen, late 19th century (wood, raffia & pigment)
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Funerary screen, late 19th century (wood, raffia & pigment)
3833271 Funerary screen, late 19th century (wood, raffia & pigment) by Kalabari (19th century); 95.3x71.1x24.8 cm; Minneapolis Institute of Arts, MN, USA; (add.info.: As middlemen of the trans-Atlantic trade from the 1500s onward, the Kalabari peoples who live in the coastal Niger River delta area were in close contact with Europeans and their two-dimensional images. It seems likely that prints and paintings inspired the tradition of ancestral screens, which began around 1800. Their construction shows knowledge of European joinery techniques, learned from ships carpenters. Reserved for the heads of powerful trading houses, they offered the spirits of the dead a place to regularly return, receive offerings, and follow the business of their descendants. The central figure of the deceased, flanked by two dependents, is shown wearing a feathered masquerade headdress.); eMinneapolis Institute of Art; The John R. Van Derlip Fund; Nigerian, out of copyright
Media ID 22654038
© Minneapolis Institute of Art The John R. Van Derlip Fund / Bridgeman Images
Afterlife Ancestral Artefact Artifact Deceased Funerary Memorial Nigerian Panel Screen Soul Souls Spirits Spiritual Spirituality
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This print showcases a remarkable Funerary screen from the late 19th century, created by the Kalabari people of Nigeria. Crafted with wood, raffia, and pigment, this intricate piece measures 95.3x71.1x24.8 cm and is housed in the Minneapolis Institute of Arts. The Kalabari people had extensive interactions with Europeans due to their role as middlemen in trans-Atlantic trade since the 1500s. It is believed that European prints and paintings influenced the development of ancestral screens within their culture around 1800. These screens were exclusively reserved for influential trading house leaders and served as a spiritual connection between the living and deceased. Constructed using European joinery techniques learned from ship carpenters, these screens provided a sacred space for departed spirits to return regularly, receive offerings, and oversee their descendants' business affairs. At its center stands an imposing figure representing the deceased individual adorned with a magnificent feathered masquerade headdress. Flanked by two loyal dependents on either side, this composition exudes power and reverence. This photograph captures not only the exquisite craftsmanship but also highlights how artistic traditions can evolve through cultural exchange over time. The Funerary screen serves as both a testament to Kalabari heritage and an intriguing fusion of African aesthetics with European influences.
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