Virginia Commonwealth University VCU Scholars Compass Theses and Dissertations Graduate School 2014 Liaising Between Visible and Invisible Realities: A Ritual Gourd in the African Collection of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts Ashley Holdsworth Virginia Commonwealth University Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/etd Part of the Arts and Humanities Commons © The Author Downloaded from https://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/etd/3432 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at VCU Scholars Compass. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of VCU Scholars Compass. For more information, please contact [email protected]. © Ashley Holdsworth 2014 All Rights Reserved Liaising Between Visible and Invisible Realities: A Ritual Gourd in the African Collection of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts at Virginia Commonwealth University. by Ashley E. Holdsworth Bachelor of Arts, University of Connecticut, 2009 Master of Arts, Virginia Commonwealth University, 2014 Director: Dr. Babatunde Lawal Professor, Department of Art History Virginia Commonwealth University Richmond, Virginia April 23, 2014 Acknowledgment I wish to thank my advisor, Dr. Babatunde Lawal, for his encouragement. Thank you for your commitment and guidance. To Dr. Lindauer, thank you for your patience and support throughout this process. To Richard, thank you for introducing me to this unique object and for your enthusiasm, insight, and support. To Daria and Maggie, thanks for talking to me every time I had to walk to campus. Finally, I wish to thank Jeff, who always believes in me. ii Table of Contents List of Figures ..................................................................................................................................v Abstract .......................................................................................................................................... vi Introduction ......................................................................................................................................1 Justification ..........................................................................................................................2 Literature Review.................................................................................................................4 Conceptual and Theoretical Framework ..............................................................................8 Chapter Summaries ............................................................................................................10 Chapter One: The Mambila ..........................................................................................................11 History................................................................................................................................14 World View and Religion ..................................................................................................16 Ambivalent Perception of Chàŋ .........................................................................................17 The Visual Arts ..................................................................................................................19 Using Art to Mediate between the Worldly and Otherworldly..........................................21 The Ritual Specialist in Mambila Culture .........................................................................25 The Mambila Sùàgà Society ..............................................................................................26 The Ritual Process and Secrecy .........................................................................................26 Chapter Two: Toward an Iconography of the VMFA Gourd .......................................................29 iii Acquisitions History ..........................................................................................................29 Creating and Composing a Ritual Gourd ...........................................................................30 Formal Description of the VMFA gourd ...........................................................................30 Iconographical Analysis.....................................................................................................32 The Gourd ..........................................................................................................................34 Animal Motifs ....................................................................................................................36 Avian Motifs ......................................................................................................................42 Vegetal Matters ..................................................................................................................44 Carved Images ...................................................................................................................45 Chapter Three: The VMFA Gourd as a Ritual Ensemble of Material Metaphors with Metaphysical Powers ...............................................................................47 Transforming the Ordinary into Extraordinary through Material Metaphors ............................................................................................................48 Conclusion: The Transition of the VMFA Gourd from a Ritual Icon to an Art Museum Exhibit ........................................................................................52 From Private Storage to Public Display.............................................................................55 Glossary of Mambila Terms ..........................................................................................................57 Bibliography ..................................................................................................................................59 Illustrations ....................................................................................................................................64 iv List of Figures Figure One .....................................................................................................................................64 Figure Two A .................................................................................................................................65 Figure Two B .................................................................................................................................66 Figure Two C .................................................................................................................................67 Figure Two D .................................................................................................................................68 Figure Two E .................................................................................................................................69 Figure Three ...................................................................................................................................70 Figure Four.....................................................................................................................................71 Figure Five .....................................................................................................................................72 Figure Six .......................................................................................................................................73 Figure Seven ..................................................................................................................................74 Figure Eight ...................................................................................................................................75 Figure Nine ....................................................................................................................................76 Figure Ten ......................................................................................................................................77 Figure Eleven .................................................................................................................................78 Figure Twelve ................................................................................................................................79 Figure Thirteen...............................................................................................................................80 Figure Fourteen ..............................................................................................................................81 Figure Fifteen .................................................................................................................................82 Figure Sixteen A ............................................................................................................................83 Figure Sixteen B ............................................................................................................................84 Figure Seventeen ............................................................................................................................85 Figure Eighteen ..............................................................................................................................86