Friday, October 2, 2009

Kuba Horn and Yaka Whistle Profiles from Ginzberg Collection

There’s more still to this exemplary collection of museum-quality African art. I hope every one has been to our website to check out the entire collection – if you’d like to see the collection in person and are in the New York City area, call the gallery and we’d be happy to schedule an appointment.

Kuba Horn Container from Congo. These containers, usually used by the tribal elite for drinking palm wine (an alcoholic beverage made from the sap of palm trees), come in a variety of shapes and sizes. This one has been intricately carved from the hallow horn of a mature cow. The designs are strikingly geometric and appear very modern to our Western aesthetic. These designs are actually reminiscent of scarification patterns, common among the Kuba people. This is truly an extraordinary example of a palm wine container.

Yaka Whistle from Congo. This Yaka Whistle is a very interesting piece from the collection. While both this whistle and the previous palm wine container are from the Congo, this piece comes from the Kasai region. The tribal people from this region often carried whistles used during hunting expeditions. This piece, in particular, has obtained a very fine patina due to its use over the years. That, combined with the presence of light and fine carving, make this piece a particularly fine example of a hunting whistle from this region.

I hope that people are enjoying a closer look into the Ginzberg Collection and will take advantage of our access to the collection to learn more. We are always happy to answer any questions that you might have. Check out www.JacarandaTribal.com and, as always, feel free to give us a call at the gallery.

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