Snuff Container (Tesa Ya Ma Kanya)

Chokwe

Brooklyn Museum photograph

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The Brooklyn Museum is commemorating its 200th anniversary by spotlighting 200 standout objects in its encyclopedic collection.

Snuff, or finely ground tobacco, entered the market of Central Africa’s western coast in the 16th century through Portuguese and Dutch traders. In the regions that now encompass modern-day Angola, Zambia, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Chokwe woodworking artists, or songi, carved intricate sculptures that doubled as containers or mortars for snuff. Acquired in 1922, this example was one of the first objects to enter into the Brooklyn Museum’s holdings.

Made of wood and adorned with beads or upholstery studs, such objects would often be commissioned by Chokwe rulers for use as stylish serving tools at important occasions. Strategically, distinctive snuff containers represented wealth and status both to members of elite circles and to foreigners, which actively contributed to Chokwe superiority.

This container depicts a royal female ancestor seated on a chief’s throne with an elaborate coiffure and brass earrings. The figure holds her breast as a symbolic reference to nurturing the chiefdom. While these elements represent characteristic Chokwe traits of mythological spirituality, ancestor veneration, and elite adornment, the four-legged backed chair reveals a European influence: it resembles folding chairs brought to the regions by the Portuguese and Dutch.

Caption

Chokwe. Snuff Container (Tesa Ya Ma Kanya), 19th century. Wood, iron, fiber , 5 1/2 x 2 3/16 x 3 in. (14 x 5.5 x 7.6 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Museum Expedition 1922, Robert B. Woodward Memorial Fund, 22.1089. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 22.1089_PS2.jpg)

Gallery

Not on view

Collection

Arts of Africa

Culture

Chokwe

Title

Snuff Container (Tesa Ya Ma Kanya)

Date

19th century

Geography

Possible place made: Angola, Possible place made: Bandundu province, Democratic Republic of the Congo

Medium

Wood, iron, fiber

Classification

Accessories

Dimensions

5 1/2 x 2 3/16 x 3 in. (14 x 5.5 x 7.6 cm)

Credit Line

Museum Expedition 1922, Robert B. Woodward Memorial Fund

Accession Number

22.1089

Rights

Creative Commons-BY

You may download and use Brooklyn Museum images of this three-dimensional work in accordance with a Creative Commons license. Fair use, as understood under the United States Copyright Act, may also apply. Please include caption information from this page and credit the Brooklyn Museum. If you need a high resolution file, please fill out our online application form (charges apply). For further information about copyright, we recommend resources at the United States Library of Congress, Cornell University, Copyright and Cultural Institutions: Guidelines for U.S. Libraries, Archives, and Museums, and Copyright Watch. For more information about the Museum's rights project, including how rights types are assigned, please see our blog posts on copyright. If you have any information regarding this work and rights to it, please contact copyright@brooklynmuseum.org.

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