Collections and items in our institution have incomplete, inaccurate, and/or missing attribution. We are using this notice to clearly identify this material so that it can be updated, or corrected by communities of origin. Our institution is committed to collaboration and partnerships to address this problem of incorrect or missing attribution.
Our institution is committed to the development of new modes of collaboration, engagement, and partnership with Indigenous peoples for the care and stewardship of past and future heritage collections.
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H: 20-3/16 in.
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Harrison Eiteljorg
Collected by Flemish Jesuit missionary in Kwango Kwilu district of Democratic Republic of Congo in 1932 {1}; (Marc Felix [1942-], Brussels, Belgium) sold on 12 November 1981 to Harrison Eiteljorg [1903-1997] of Indianapolis, Indiana; given to the Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields in 1989. {1} At the time, the Democratic Republic of the Congo was known as the Belgium Congo
Musicians are a common theme in Mbala carving. Carvings like this are used at the installation ceremonies of chiefs as symbols of power. The presence of a sacred substance in a hole on the underside of the figure increased its potency. Material enclosed within the hollow drum may also be medicinal or perhaps used for sound as the carving acts as a rattle when shaken during ceremonies.
Metadata about the Indianapolis Museum of Art’s collection comes from Newfields’ records and research. In some cases, information may be incomplete and research is ongoing. Newfields’ goal is to have as up-to-date metadata as possible, therefore, this information is subject to change. Newfields collections’ metadata is available under a Creative Commons Zero (CC0) waiver, which allows for re-use without legal restrictions.
Artworks that appear in the image file(s) above may be in copyright or have other legal and/or cultural restrictions to their use. For clarity, Newfields does not claim copyright to the image files created by Newfields of artworks in the Indianapolis Museum of Art’s collection. Newfields makes every effort to ascertain the copyright status of artworks in the Indianapolis Museum of Art’s collection. Please refer to the RightsStatements.org statement above for information about the current copyright status of the artwork. Additionally, some artworks may include Local Context’s Notices or Labels that attribute cultural authority of the artwork’s heritage and data.
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This project was made possible in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services [MA-251861-OMS-22].