Maure man with his wife and mother before a tea set

Unknown

first half of the 20th century · Film, emulsion · Arts of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas

Original glass negative. An adult male figure is seated in the middle of this image wearing a loose canvas robe and a pouch around his neck, which may be similar to the ta’wiz or gris-gris that is popular in Sufic West Africa. With his left arm resting on his left knee, his wife leans to rest her left arm on his right shoulder. She wears a patterned dress with ruffled sleeves, a large necklace, a wristwatch, and a scarf that covers the left side of her head. The man’s mother sits to his left; she wears a striped dress and elaborate head wrap with her hands rested on her knees. The scene is situated out of doors, with the side of an earthen building (evidenced by the portal on the left hand side) that features open brickwork on the right hand side. All three figures are seated on a woven mat and there is a small tea set and large bowl positioned between the sitters and the viewer.

Artist

Unknown

Date

first half of the 20th century

Medium

Film, emulsion

Department

Arts of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas

Credit line

Gift of Susan Mullin Vogel, 2015