The Senufo people who live along the Ivory Coast in Africa created the ceremonial drum. The drum represents various aspects of tradition and life for certain Senufo communities. The construction of the drum is particularly indicative of the roles of women within Senufo communities and how they are seen as "preservers of life" those that hold up the structure and spirituality which govern their world. In fact, of the four Senufo societies, which educate and govern the individual acts of people, the divination governing sandogo society is composed mostly of women. It is worth noting that Senufo culture is matrilineal and certain societal positions such as the artisans, are determined by matrilineal inheritance. While ruled by elder male leaders, one's place in society, as well as their position for the future, is determined by the lineage of the mother. The ceremonial drum owned and housed in the Art Institute of Chicago epitomizes Senufo culture, and it is through drum's embellished designs that viewers are exposed to core beliefs of the Senufo, particularly, in how women are seen as guardians of divinity and supporting foundations of society for the Senufo.
Provenance
The drum is thought to have been made within a Senufo community, in the Ivory Coast, sometime between the years of 1930 and 1950. The style is similar to that of the Kulebele artisans, known in particular for traveling to the commissioning patron in order to complete their work in person. The drums iconography and bas-relief motifs indicate the drum as having been most likely manufactured in eastern Kulebele settlements of the Mbengue region, where similar caryatid designs have been located by researchers. The aesthetic of the drum has been appreciated within collections and exhibitions, since its acquisition by Charles Ratton in 1957. Charles Ratton, a famous art dealer in his own right, recognized the importance aesthetic elements, which lay within the untapped realm of African art, and pushed for its display across the art world. The first record of exhibition of the object is at Cannes, France, Palais Miramar, Arts d'Afrique et d'Oceanie, from July 6 till Sept. 29, 1957. In 1963, the ceremonial drum began a tour of the American museums, which were just opening up to appreciating African art as more than just an exotic fascination; New York, Museum of Primitive Art, Senufo Sculpture from West Africa (Feb. 20 – Mar. 5, 1963); traveled to Art Institute of Chicago (July 12 – Aug. 11, 1963), Baltimore Museum of Art, (Sept. 17 – Oct. 27, 1963) cat. no. 117 (not ill.) In 1965 the object was sold to |Harry A. Franklin, relocating to Beverly Hills, California from the museum shelves. However, it was not long before it was again displayed publicly in Berkeley, Calif., Lowie Museum, African Arts, 1967. It made its final appearance under the ownership of Harry A. Franklin, at the Smithsonian Institution exhibit, "Sounding Forms: African Musical Instruments", from Apr. 26 – June 18, 1989 It was then sold at Sotheby’s, New York to the Art Institute of Chicago where it has been displayed for various exhibits such as; "Senufo Woman and Art: A Caryatid Drum" (Apr. 27 – Oct. 27, 1991), and "For Hearth and Altar: African Ceramics" (Dec. 3, 2005 – Feb. 20, 2006). Currently, the object is on exhibition being shown in Cleveland and St. Louis for the exhibit, "Senufo: Dynamics of Art and Identity in West Africa", but it will return after March 6th.