Baule woman holding gilded wood fly whisks of dignitary N'Goran Koffi, Kouassiblekro, Ivory Coast

Object Details

Topic: Leaders; Jewelry; Regalia; Clothing and dress -- Africa; Animals in art; Animals in art -- Birds

See more items in: Eliot Elisofon Field collection; Eliot Elisofon Field collection / Côte d'Ivoire

Archival Repository: Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives, National Museum of African Art

Collection Citation: Eliot Elisofon Field Collection, EEPA 1973-001, Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution

Collection Rights: Permission to reproduce images from the Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives must be obtained in advance. The collection is subject to all copyright laws.

Scope and Contents: "During the colonial period the French sought to consolidate their authority over the peoples of the south-eastern region by creating district and cantonal chiefs. Though untraditional, these offices have survived, and their occupants have increasingly sought to gain status by adopting Akan-style regalia (as have the few traditional paramount chiefs in the region). Baule fly-whisks are carved in a light wood covered in a thin sheet of hammered gold. According to Baule goldsmiths, the technique of gold-leafing was introduced from the Akan region of Ghana." [Timothy F. Garrard, 1989: Gold of Africa, Prestel]. This photograph was taken when Eliot Elisofon was on assignment for National Geographic and traveled to Africa from January 19, 1972 to mid April 1972.

Collection Restrictions: Use of original records requires an appointment. Contact Archives staff for more details.