Image Not Available

Container (Opon)

Datelate 19th-early 20th century

Label TextA mounted warrior is armed with weapons that also function as a handle, allowing him to be opened up. Inside, kola nuts would be stored, ready to be broken at the beginning of a social exchange. Chewing on them delivers a strong dose of caffeine to stimulate conversation.

Object number81.17.618

Exhibition HistorySeattle, Washington, Seattle Art Museum, Praise Poems: The Katherine White Collection, July 29 - Sept. 29, 1984 (Washington, D.C., National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, Oct. 31, 1984 - Feb. 25, 1985; Raleigh, North Carolina Museum of Art, Apr. 6 - May 19, 1985; Fort Worth, Texas, Kimbell Art Museum, Sept. 7 - Nov. 25, 1985; Kansas City, Missouri, Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Mar. 8 - Apr. 20, 1986). Text by Pamela McClusky. Cat. no. 1, pp. 10-11, reproduced. Seattle, Washington, Seattle Art Museum, Five Installations on the Fourth Floor: Horses, 1997. Seattle, Washington, Seattle Art Museum, Documents International: Eleven Heads Are Better than One: Sixth Graders Connect with SAM, Apr. 1, 1999 - Apr. 2, 2000. Seattle, Washington, Seattle Art Museum, The Untold Story, Nov. 14, 2003 - Nov. 14, 2004.

Credit LineGift of Katherine White and the Boeing Company

Dimensions17 1/2 x 22 13/16 x 6 7/8 in. (44.4 x 58 x 17.4 cm)

MediumWood, pigment