Large Hand Forged Iron Burkina Faso Ceremonial Axe on Stand
Large Hand Forged Iron Burkina Faso Ceremonial Axe on Stand. The blade is etched on both sides. Attached to long dark toned wood staff. Sits on a custom stand with the original inventory code on the bottom.
Size: 28”H x 11.75”W x 5”D
Provenance: Thomas G.D. Wheelock Collection, New York
Thomas G.D. Wheelock was a collector of African art, especially that of Burkina Faso. His aim was to not only celebrate the artistic traditions of the region but to preserve them as well. Rather than merely acquiring the art, he valued the relationships he formed with local artists and communities, often engaging with them directly in trips to Africa. Four pieces are on permanent display at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City and pieces have been lent to many institutions including the High Museum in Atlanta. Wheelock collected art from the Burkina Faso area in Africa for over thirty years and at over seventeen hundred pieces had one of the most extensive collections in existence. Key pieces of his collection were immortalized in the rare and influential book, “Land of the Flying Masks: Art and Culture in Burkina Faso; The Thomas G.B. Wheelock Collection,” which showcases hundreds of coveted pieces. These include works from the Nuna, Bwa, Bobo, and Mossi peoples, alongside notable objects from the Lobi, Gurunsi, Winiama, and Lela communities (New England Book Review/W.A. Demers)
Large Hand Forged Iron Burkina Faso Ceremonial Axe on Stand. The blade is etched on both sides. Attached to long dark toned wood staff. Sits on a custom stand with the original inventory code on the bottom.
Size: 28”H x 11.75”W x 5”D
Provenance: Thomas G.D. Wheelock Collection, New York
Thomas G.D. Wheelock was a collector of African art, especially that of Burkina Faso. His aim was to not only celebrate the artistic traditions of the region but to preserve them as well. Rather than merely acquiring the art, he valued the relationships he formed with local artists and communities, often engaging with them directly in trips to Africa. Four pieces are on permanent display at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City and pieces have been lent to many institutions including the High Museum in Atlanta. Wheelock collected art from the Burkina Faso area in Africa for over thirty years and at over seventeen hundred pieces had one of the most extensive collections in existence. Key pieces of his collection were immortalized in the rare and influential book, “Land of the Flying Masks: Art and Culture in Burkina Faso; The Thomas G.B. Wheelock Collection,” which showcases hundreds of coveted pieces. These include works from the Nuna, Bwa, Bobo, and Mossi peoples, alongside notable objects from the Lobi, Gurunsi, Winiama, and Lela communities (New England Book Review/W.A. Demers)
Large Hand Forged Iron Burkina Faso Ceremonial Axe on Stand. The blade is etched on both sides. Attached to long dark toned wood staff. Sits on a custom stand with the original inventory code on the bottom.
Size: 28”H x 11.75”W x 5”D
Provenance: Thomas G.D. Wheelock Collection, New York
Thomas G.D. Wheelock was a collector of African art, especially that of Burkina Faso. His aim was to not only celebrate the artistic traditions of the region but to preserve them as well. Rather than merely acquiring the art, he valued the relationships he formed with local artists and communities, often engaging with them directly in trips to Africa. Four pieces are on permanent display at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City and pieces have been lent to many institutions including the High Museum in Atlanta. Wheelock collected art from the Burkina Faso area in Africa for over thirty years and at over seventeen hundred pieces had one of the most extensive collections in existence. Key pieces of his collection were immortalized in the rare and influential book, “Land of the Flying Masks: Art and Culture in Burkina Faso; The Thomas G.B. Wheelock Collection,” which showcases hundreds of coveted pieces. These include works from the Nuna, Bwa, Bobo, and Mossi peoples, alongside notable objects from the Lobi, Gurunsi, Winiama, and Lela communities (New England Book Review/W.A. Demers)
