Status Axe (ndzhanga)
Artist
Tsonga artist
Datelate 19th–early 20th century
MediumWood (iron or zebra wood) and steel
DimensionsH. 30 5/16 in. (77 cm)
ClassificationsSculpture
Credit LinePurchased with funds from the General Art Fund
Object number2014.8
On View
On viewCarvers working within Tsonga traditions are known for visual improvisation and abstraction, and the overall structure of this axe may reference an antelope. Another interpretation emphasizes tension and power, implied by the two vertical shafts as a single rod bent in the middle and constrained by horizontal bands. Tsonga proverbs and carvings are known for their double or triple meanings; there are likely multiple correct interpretations.
ProvenanceMichael Stevenson; sold to Colin Sayers, Johannesburg and Cape Town, South Africa; Sale, Cape Town, Stephan Welz & Co., February 25–26, 2014, lot 353, sold to NCMA.
Exhibition HistoryRaleigh, NC, North Carolina Museum of Art, "The People's Collection, Reimagined," October 7, 2022–present. Object Rights Statement
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