Pendant Depicting a Tortoise

SenufoWW-1901-142531

1901·Copper alloy·Approx.: H.: 5.1 cm (2 in.)

<p>Ornaments made of copper alloys are generally commissioned by individuals on the recommendation of a diviner as a means to encourage spiritual intervention in the resolution of individual problems or goals. This ornament is in the form of a turtle—an animal thought by the Senufo to have special ties to the spiritual world. The large round eyes and circular feet add emphasis to the neatly coiled rings of the turtle’s body. The flat, broad tail looks more like that of a fish than a turtle, but it probably made the object easier to grasp.</p>

Catalogue

Year: 1901
Medium: Copper alloy
Dimensions: Approx.: H.: 5.1 cm (2 in.)
Collection: Art Institute of Chicago
Artist: Senufo

Artist

Senufo

The Senufo or Senufic languages comprise around 15 languages spoken by the Senufo in the north of Ivory Coast, the south of Mali and the southwest of Burkina Faso. An isolated language, Nafaanra, is also spoken in the west of Ghana. The Senufo languages constitute their own branch of the Atlantic–Congo sub-family of the Niger–Congo languages. Anne Garber estimates the total number of Senufos at some 1.5 million; the Ethnologue, based on various population estimates, counts 2.7 million.

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