Lidded Container
Northern Nguni
Mid–late 19th century
Medium
Wood
Dimensions
overall: 48.3 × 25.4 × 25.4 cm (19 × 10 × 10 in.)
Classification
container
Department
Arts of Africa
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
58443
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
The use of this container with its graceful ovoid form and incised linear pattern is unclear. It may have served as a prestige object for a high-ranking member of society—for instance, providing a place to store tobacco in honor of guests and ancestors on festive and ritual occasions. Recent scholarship suggests that it may have been made explicitly for sale to a foreign client, tourist, or resident.