Representing water spirits, these inventive crest masks combine various animal parts, including the horns of antelope and rams, and the tusks and trunks of elephants. Along with the water birds pegged on the front and back of each crest—one of which is missing—these animals refer to land and water, the human world and the supernatural underwater realm—both domains where water spirits exercise their power. [See also 2000.320.2]
Gift of Richard Faletti, the Faletti Family Collection
Reference Number
2000.320.1
Extended information about this artwork
Mary Nooter Roberts and Allen F. Roberts, A Sense of Wonder: African Art from the Faletti Family Collection (Phoenix: Phoenix Art Museum, 1997), pg. 94-95, cat. 39a (ill.).
Constantine Petridis et al., Speaking of Objects: African Art at the Art Institute of Chicago (Chicago: Art Institute of Chicago, 2020), cat. no. 45, pp. 116-117 (ill.).
Phoenix Art Museum, A Sense of Wonder: African Art from the Faletti Family Collection, Dec. 13, 1997-Feb. 8, 1998, cat. 39a; traveled to Chicago, The David and Alfred Smart Museum of Art, University of Chicago, May 14-June 28, 1998, Urbana-Champaign, Krannert Art Museum and Kinkead Pavilion, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Sept. 18-Nov. 1, 1998, New York, N.Y., The Museum for African Art, Jan. 29-March 28, 1999, Davenport Museum of Art, Apr.18-June 13, 1999, New Brunswick, N.J., Rutgers University, The Jane Voorhees Zimmerli Art Museum, Sept. 12-Nov. 24, 1999, and The Boise Art Museum, Feb. 26-May 7, 2000.
Los Angeles, Calif., UCLA Fowler Museum of Cultural History, Ways of the River: Arts and Environment of Niger Delta, May 19-Nov. 17, 2002, cat. 6.20; traveled to Chicago, Ill., The Field Museum of Natural History, May 22-Sept. 7, 2002, Buffalo, N.Y., Albright-Knox Art Gallery, Oct. 10, 2002-Jan. 10, 2003, Purchase, N.Y., Neuberger Museum of Art, SUNY, Feb. 10-May 10, 2004.
Richard Faletti (died 2006) and Barbara Faletti (died 2000), Chicago, Ill. and Phoenix, Ariz., by 1997; given to the Art Institute, 2000.
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