Artifact Record Details
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Basic Information |
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| Artifact Identification | Senufo Carved Door (1990.10.0016) | |
| Classification | Structures : Building Component : Door | |
| Visual Description | None | |
| Artist/Maker | None | |
| Geographic Location | Africa, Côte d'Ivoire | |
| Period/Date | , ca. 19th – 20th c. CE | |
| Culture | Senufo | |
| Locality/Archaeological Site | ||
Physical Analysis |
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| Dimension 1 (Height) | 128.8 cm | |
| Dimension 2 (Width) | 65.6 cm | |
| Dimension 3 (Depth) | 2.9 cm | |
| Weight | 10,000 g | |
| Measuring Remarks | None | |
| Materials | Wood | |
| Manufacturing Processes | Carving, Incising | |
| Munsell Color Information | Dark Grayish Yellowish Brown (10YR 2/2) -ns | |
Research Remarks |
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| Published Description | N/A | |
| Scholarly Notes | 2/15/2008: "Senufo Door, 1990.10.0016, Although a great number of Senufo carved wooden doors exist in private collections, a firm understanding of their contextual use has not been determined. The tumultuous history of conflict, famine, drought, religious influences, and movements of peoples in the are of Northern Côte d'Ivoire caused a decline in the sue of such doors in the 19th century, and has left little oral history to recall the purposes. However, the powerful, relief-carved animal imagery relates to Senufo beliefs about the order of the universe and indicates that doors such as this one may have been used to close off a scared space. At least four of the five beings first created on earth according to Senufo mythology, are represented on this door: the python (fo), the tortoise (gunugo), the hornbill (dynug), and the crocodile (wotyon). Each of these animals, recognized for their abilities to transcend physical boundaries with ease between earth, water, and sky, embodies ideas about specialized knowledge and power. Ordered below stratified images of quadriped animals, stooped humans, and fish, these liminal primordial creatures serve as visual reminders about the social order of the cosmos and as protective devices for the sanctioned space contained by the door. References: Barbier, Jean Paul. The Art of Côte d'Ivoire. Vol. 1-2. Barbier Mueller Museum: Geneva, 1993. (Volume 2: cats. 41, 42) Glaze, Anita J. "Senufo Door." In For Spirits and Kings, ed. Susan Vogel, 51. New York: Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1981. Glaze, Anita J. "Senufo Ornament and Decorative Arts." African Arts 12, 1: 63-71." - Unknown author, unknown date. "Residence is a western term. A Diviner lives in a thatched roof hut - unless he is in a city....[I]t cannot be a door to living quarters either [because of the small size].... It is not a household or sanctuary door." - R. Faletti, 7/14/97. Considering the dimensions of this door, it is too big for a Senufo granary. Half this size would fit a granary. All the symbolism and imagery attached to this clearly indicate that this door to a sanctuary space. - L. Bangali, 10/7/1997 Imagery of turtles, snakes and other water and land going creatures indicate liminality (special access to power). - N. Hawkes 10/22/98 Carving styles of this door vary from region to region. They mostly include the five first animals (or some) who appeared on earth before humans. According to Senufo mythology those five animals include the tortoise, the snake, the chameleon, the crocodile, and the hornbill. Those animals serve as a source of inspiration to carvers, painters, and weavers. As this door features all the five sacred animals, it was surely used in a ritual space. Any ritual object could require the "presence" of the five primordial beings. This means that any owner of such an object could need this door. This is an important point because it generally appears in the literature that only a diviner could use this door that this door. - Lamissa Bangali, 9/25/99 Although a great number of Senufo carved wooden doors exist in museums and private collections, a firm understanding of their contextual use has not been determined. The tumultuous history of conflict, famine, drought, religious influences, and movements of peoples in the area of Northern Côte d'Ivoire caused a decline in the use of such doors in the 19th century, and has left little oral history to recall their purposes. However, the powerful, relief-carved animal imagery relates to Senufo beliefs about the order of the universe and indicates that doors such as this one may have been used to close off a sacred space. At least four of the five beings first created on earth according to Senufo mythology, are represented on this door: the python (fo), the tortoise (gunugo), the hornbill (dynug), and the crocodile (wotyon). Each of these animals, recognized for their abilities to transcend physical boundaries with ease between earth, water, and sky, embodies ideas about specialized knowledge and power. Ordered below stratified images of quadruped animals, stooped humans, and fish, these liminal primordial creatures serve as visual reminders about the social order of the cosmos and as protective devices for the sanctioned space contained by the door. - N. Hawkes, 4/2000 | |
| Comparanda | N/A | |
| Bibliography | N/A | |
Artifact History |
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| Archaeological Data | N/A | |
| Credit Line/Dedication | Gift of Drs. Albert V. and Marguerite Carozzi | |
| Reproduction | no | |
| Reproduction Information | N/A | |