Thorn carving depicting a teaching scene. Figures adhered to a rectangular particle board base with corners cut off. Scene features five figures seated around a panel of text. Four figures hold stick-like objects in their hands, but the figure on the end has an empty hand and appears to be missing his stick.

• History Of Use

  Thorn carvings are miniatures depicting a variety of scenes from Nigerian life. The carvings first began to be made circa 1930. The thorns vary in size; they can be as large as 12.7 cm long and 9.6 cm wide. The thorn wood is comparatively soft and easy to carve; they are traditionally carved by men.

• Specific Techniques

  The light yellow-brown thorn and the dark brown thorn come from the ata tree; the light red-brown thorn comes from egun trees. The parts are glued together with viscous paste made that was made from rice cooked with water.

• Narrative

  Most of the Nigerian objects in the Lieber collection were assumed to have been collected while Jack Lieber was living in Nigeria, 1965-1970. However one of the thorn carvings was made after 1971, so the dates are uncertain.

• Cultural Context

  craft; tourist art

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• Type of Item carving
• Culture Yoruba
• Material atum thorn, egun thorn, adhesive, wood
• Measurements height 7.0 cm, width 18.2 cm, depth 13.0 cm (overall)

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• Previous Owner Jack Lieber, Iris Lieber
• Received from Iris Lieber

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• Made in Ibadan

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• Creation Date during 1970
• Ownership Date before 2015, before June 18, 2018
• Acquisition Date on June 18, 2018

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• Item Classes carvings & sculpture
• Condition good
• Accession Number 3326/0032