About the Artwork
Figures such as this Mi iri ni ("small wooden people") were used by the Guro of Côte d'Ivoire as sacred intermediaries between the human and supernatural realms. Placed against the back wall of a shrine house to receive prayers and offerings of eggs and kola nuts, they were asked to carry messages in the forms of dreams from protective spirits called zuzu to help the living solve problems.
Standing Female Figure
between 19th and 20th century
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African
Guro
Wood, beads
20 3/8 × 7 5/8 × 5 3/8 inches (51.8 × 19.4 × 13.7 cm)
Sculpture
African Art
Bequest of Robert H. Tannahill
70.95
Copyright Not Evaluated
Markings
Label on back: Toledo Museum of Art - anonymous loan 5233
Provenance
Frank Crowinshield, (New York, New York, USA);Kleinman, (Paris, France);
Tristan Tzara, (Paris, France);
Robert H. Tannahill [1893-1969] (Grosse Pointe Farms, Michigan, USA);
1970-present, gift to the Detroit Institute of Arts (Detroit, Michigan, USA)
For more information on provenance, please visit:
Provenance pageExhibition History
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The exhibition history of a number of objects in our collection only begins after their acquisition by the museum, and may reflect an incomplete record.
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Suggest FeedbackPublished References
Frank Crowinshielf Sale. Sales cat., Parke-Bernet Galleries Inc. New York, October 21, 1943, p. 62, no. 130, (ill.).
DIA Handbook. Detroit, 1971, p. 167.
Detroit Collects African Art. Exh. cat., DIA. Detroit, 1977, no. 78 (ill.).
African Masterworks In The Detroit Institute of Arts. Washington and London, 1995, cat. no. 15.
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Credit Line for Reproduction
Guro, African, Standing Female Figure, between 19th and 20th century, wood, beads. Detroit Institute of Arts, Bequest of Robert H. Tannahill, 70.95.
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