Sword ornament of a gaboon viper with a hornbill

CultureAkan peoples
Titles
  • Sword ornament of a gaboon viper with a hornbill
Date1860–1900
PlaceGhana, Africa
MediumGold
Dimensions5 in. height (12.7 cm)
Credit LineGift of Alfred C. Glassell, Jr.
Object number97.1403
Non exposé

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ProvenanceAlfred C. Glassell, Jr. (1913–2008), Houston, before 1997; given to MFAH, 1997.
Exhibition History"The Private Eye: Selected Works from Collections of Friends of the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston," Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, June 10, 1989–August 13, 1989.

"African Gold from the Glassell Collection, The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston," State Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts, Moscow, December 3, 2001–March 3, 2002; High Museum of Art, Atlanta, March 13–September 19, 2004; Pearl Fincher Museum of Fine Art, Spring, Texas, July 26–November 2, 2008; Beeville Art Museum, Texas, September 17, 2011–January 7, 2012.

"The Power of Gold: Asante Royal Regalia from Ghana," Dallas Museum of Art, April 15–August 22, 2018.

Cataloguing data may change with further research.

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Sword
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Iron
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Sword Handle
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Chief's crown
1900–1915
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Sword
1875–1900
Iron
97.1385
Sword Handle
1900–1950
Wood and gold leaf
97.1389
Fly Whisk
1925–1935
Horsehair, wood, gold leaf, red cloth, and string
97.853
front of object
19th century
Gold leaf and wood
2004.2330
Pair of Tlaloc Eyepieces
900–1200
Mother-of-pearl
2016.31.1,.2