Funerary bed
20th century
Object PlaceCote d'Ivoire
Medium/Techniquewood
DimensionsOverall: 27 x 42 x 183 cm (10 5/8 x 16 9/16 x 72 1/16 in.)
Credit LineGift of Geneviève McMillan in memory of Reba Stewart
Accession number2009.2649
On View
Not on viewClassificationsFurniture
Collections
The Senufo peoples of West Africa have elaborate funerary ceremonies that can last for several days. Masquerades are performed by members of the Poro men's society and masqueraders help to usher the newly deceased into the "village of the dead". Throughout the funerary process, there is an elaborate exchange of gifts between the deceased's family and other members of the community. A deceased elder would likely have been placed on a funerary bed similar to this one before the funerary rituals begin.
Provenance1987, sold by 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)
20th century