Ceremonial Chewing Stick / Artist Unknown, African, Fante Peoples Ghana
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About this Item
Record Details
- Accession Number
- 1987/1.270
- Title
- Ceremonial Chewing Stick
- Artist Nationality
- Ghanaian
- Medium and Support
- wood
- Object Creation Date
- 1900-1925
- Object Creation Place
- Africa (continent)
- Ghana (nation)
- Creation Place 1
- Africa (continent)
- Creation Place 2
- Ghana (nation)
- Dimensions
- 55 cm x 3 cm x 3 cm (21 5/8 in. x 1 3/16 in. x 1 3/16 in.)
- Century
- Possibly 20th century
- Primary Object Classification
- Ritual Objects
- Primary Object Type
- carving
- Physical Description
- Wood stick with dark smooth patina; shows six registers or symbols carved into it, from top to bottom: closed fist; rifle; wisdom knot; powder keg; femake figure with hands covering breasts and genitals; paddle.
- Subject Matter
- A ceremonial rendering of an ordinary chewing stick used to clean teeth and gums; they were beautifully carved and important objects of display in Fante girls’ puberty rites. During the public phase of the ceremony, pubescent girls marched in front of onlookers, holding one end of the chewing stick their mouths. Ceremnial chewing sticks are icongraphically rich. Each one bears a different combination of symbols that refers broadly to the initiate’s transition to womanhood.
- Secondary Keywords
- ceremonies
- cultural ceremonies
- events
- objects we use
- people and culture
- rites of passage
- sculpture
- sculpture by material
- sculpture by technique
- visual works
- visual works by function
- visual works by medium or technique
- Rights
- If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please visit https://umma.umich.edu/about/services/request-image/ for more information and to fill out the online Image Rights and Reproductions Request Form.
Technical Details
- Collection
- University of Michigan Museum of Art
- Image Size
- 585 x 1351
- File Size
- 49 KB
- Record
- 1987/1.270
- Link to this Item
-
https://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/musart/x-1987-sl-1.270/1987_1.270.jpg
Rights and Permissions
Related Links
Portfolios
- In public portfolios
IIIF
- Manifest
-
https://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/i/image/api/manifest/musart:1987-SL-1.270:1987_1.270.JPG
Cite this Item
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- Full citation
-
"Ceremonial Chewing Stick; Artist Unknown, African, Fante Peoples Ghana." In the digital collection University of Michigan Museum of Art. https://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/musart/x-1987-sl-1.270/1987_1.270.jpg. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed May 26, 2024.