keeping secrets
fetish in african art
keeping secrets
fetish in african art
douglas dawson in collaboration with rhona hoffman
INFO@DOUGLASDAWSON.COM CONTACT@RHOFFMANGALLERY.COM
HUNTER’S FETISH SHIRT MALI 20TH CENTURY H37"×33"
Fetish—knowledge secrecy and control The varied objects in this exhibition share one common feature: they are all tools in the negotiation between the known and unknown. Traditionally the term fetish implies for many something sordid, perhaps fiendish, pagan for sure, but always something at the edge of mundane experience. That culturally biased idea was reinforced by early missionaries and colonial officials who encountered—and misunderstood—the ancient and powerful secret societies, diviners and spiritually endowed individuals who provided social stability and metaphysical guidance in traditional animistic African societies. The fetish was a force made tangible. It was the repository for the secret and often imponderable knowledge that only the initiated could direct and control. The fetish object might be both malevolent and benevolent— or neither. Specific fetish could protect, attack, sicken, or heal and predict the future. Fetish objects could guide the individual and also influence an entire society. Fetish objects were created in collaboration between priests, supplicants, and artisans. Their potency and relevance to a specific situation or need was predicated on the various substances of which they were made. The additive nature of fetish is essential to their power. This often makes specific interpretation of their function unknowable. Function determined form. The many and diverse materials used to make a fetish tap the most fundamental —and often disturbing—sense of existence. Bones, hair, skulls, earth, blood, dung, and mysterious amulets of unknown content power the fetish and bring it directly into the realm of experience. No one can completely understand these objects. Their meaning and function was fluid through time and use. Anthropologists can describe specific cults and their fetish objects and enumerate the tools of the diviner or healer but they cannot enter the consciousness of the true believer for whom these objects made the invisible visible. Douglas Dawson Chicago Illinois 2015
HEBIESSO IRON ALTAR FON BENIN 17.5"×2.5" 18906
PAIR OF SHRINE FETISH ADA GHANA L 12.5"×5" 18464A R 14"×7" 18464B
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PAIR OF SHRINE FIGURES EARTHENWARE TOGO 15.5"×10" EACH 16619
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POWER FIGURE BOCIO FON BENIN 16.5"×5.5" 18822
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POWER FIGURES BOCIO FON BENIN 7.25"×4" 18826 PERSONAL FETISH BLA-BOCIO FON BENIN 17"×4.75" 18829
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POWER FIGURE BOCIO FON BENIN 13.5"×4.5" 18824
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EARTHEN SHRINE FIGURE BURKINA FASO 16"×11" 10835
PERSONAL FETISH CLAY AND LEATHER ZIGUA TANZANIA 6"×2.5" L 18131 7"×2.5" R 18130
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PAIR OF SHRINE FETISH FIGURES EWE TOGO 17"× 9" 18817
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HUNTER’S FETISH SHIRT MALI 20TH CENTURY H37"×33"
PAIR OF EARTHENWARE SHRINE FIGURES OUATCHI TOGO 23" 14877 28" 14878
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FETISH BUNDLE FON BENIN 7"×4.5" 18827 SHRINE FIGURE OUATCHI TOGO 32"×7" 14876
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POWER FIGURE BOCIO FON BENIN 11"×3.5" 18825 SHRINE FETISH FIGURE TANZANIA 17.5"×6" 18859
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SHRINE FETISH FIGURES ADA GHANA 19.5"×4" EACH 18423 18424
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PHALLIC FETISH DAGARI NIGERIA 30"×3" 9424
FETISH WAND MALI 15"×4" 18726
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FETISH OBJECT BAMANA MALI 18" 18795
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FETISH GOURD MAMBILA CAMEROON 18"×15" 18846
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SHRINE FIGURE CAMEROON 8.5"×3" 18860 FETISH GOURD CAMEROON 16.5"×16" 18701
FETISH BUNDLE FON BENIN 3.75"×4" 18830 EARTHENWARE FETISH VESSEL BAMANA MALI 17.5"×9" 18385
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FETISH BUNDLE FON BENIN 15" × 5.5" 18828
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FETISH NKISI DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO 7"×10" 17891
EMBLEM PANEL EJAGHAM NIGERIA 33"×33" 17552
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HORSE SKULL FETISH IBO NIGERIA 10.5"×19" 16671
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EARTHENWARE SHRINE FOWL MAMBILA CAMEROON 20"×8" 15305 IRON SHRINE GUINEA FOWL BAMANA MALI 13"×16" 18777
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AMULETS BRASS AND LEATHER KOTOKO CHAD/CAMEROON 3"×3" L 18265 4"×3.5" R 18660 KONO CULT FETISH BOLI BAMANA MALI 9"×14" 18794
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PAIR OF ALTARS HAIR GOURD BASKET CAMEROON 14"×10" EACH 18819 18820 FETISH ALTAR SENUFO OR BAMANA MALI 40"×18" 18790
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PAIR OF CULT FETISH BOLIW BAMANA MALI 20"×30" EACH 17511 17512
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KONO CULT FETISH BOLI BAMANA MALI 13"×27" 18865
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HUNTING CULT FETISH BOLI BAMANA MALI 5"×12" 17883 NYA CULT FETISH BOLIW BAMANA MALI 4.5"×5" EACH 18800 18799 18801
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GROUP OF WOODEN PHALLUS FETISH FON CULTURE BENIN 15"×2" EACH 13372 16468 13367 16464 16466 16467 13369
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GOURD FETISH LIGURU TANZANIA 8.5"×4" 18838 EARTHENWARE FETISH VESSEL BAMANA MALI 17"×7.5" 18384
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VOODUN SHRINE EARTHENWARE VESSEL BAATOMBU BENIN 13"×14" 12396 MUSICAL SCRAPER BAMANA MALI 21"×1.75" 18807
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EARTHEN PERSONAL SHRINE DOGON MALI 9"×6" 18818 EARTHENWARE SPIRIT VESSEL GA’ANDA/DINGAI NIGERIA 25"×16" 15677
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FETISH YAKA DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO 10.5" × 4.5" 18907
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ESHU SHRINE PANEL YORUBA NIGERIA 25"×17" 18823
FETISH AMULET NECKLACE TOMA LIBERIA 20"×13" 18792
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DIVINER’S NECKLACE BINUKEDINE DOGON MALI 27" 18250 DIVINER’S NECKLACE BINUKEDINE DOGON MALI 19" L 18803 17" R 18802
DIVINER’S NECKLACE IKOLAGA IFA YORUBA NIGERIA 43"×4" 10784 DIVINER’S NECKLACE BINUKEDINE DOGON MALI 27" 18251"
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PAIR OF FETISH PASSPORT MASKS STONE TOMA LIBERIA 5.5"×3" EACH 18721 18722
FETISH MASK NUNA BURKINA FASO 8.5"×5’ 18761
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SHRINE/FETISH MASK CHAMBA CAMEROON/NIGERIA 29"×13" 9192
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FETISH MASK DAN-DIOMANDE LIBERIA 14.5’×5.5" 18903
FETISH MASK DAN-GREBO LIBERIA 11.5"×6.5" 18758
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KOROBLA MASK WITH FETISH SENUFO IVORY COAST 14’×16.5" 18821
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PHOTOGRAPHY JONATHAN ALLEN JONATHANALLENSTUDIO.COM DESIGN THIRST 3ST.COM
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