Prestige axe (ibia)
Artist Unidentified
early 20th century
Object PlaceRepublic of the Congo; Democratic Republic of the Congo
Medium/TechniqueWood, iron, brass tacks, wire
DimensionsOverall: 38 x 39 x 7 cm (14 15/16 x 15 3/8 x 2 3/4 in.)
Credit LineGift of Geneviève McMillan in memory of Reba Stewart
Accession number2009.2664
On View
On viewClassificationsArms and armor
Collections
This Teke axe is adorned with European-made brass furniture tacks. European items such as tacks and buttons would be affixed to prestige items such as this one to elevate the status of its owner. Teke axes are noted for their similarities with Teke figurative sculptures that can feature both natural and abstracted human forms. This axe was likely made for ceremonial contexts.
Inscriptionshand written paper label taped on blade: "axe, Boma Balabo Tribe"Provenance1985, sold by Michel Huguenin, Galerie Majestic, Paris, to Geneviève McMillan (b. 1922 - d. 2008), Cambridge, MA; 2008, to the Geneviève McMillan and Reba Stewart Foundation, Cambridge; 2009, gift of the Geneviève McMillan and Reba Stewart Foundation to the MFA. (Accession Date: June 17, 2009)
early 20th century
Unknown Native American, Ojibwa artist
late 18th–early 19th century
