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The Collector(s) / Donor(s) James Ellison is currently a Visiting Assistant Professor of historical anthropology at the University of Florida, having recently completed his PhD in anthropology at the same institution. He is particularly interested in issues relating to cultural translation and globalization in the 20th century. After completing an undergraduate degree in anthropology at Michigan State University in 1987, Ellison participated in an archaeological project researching changes in human ecology in southern Somalia. In the winter of 1988 he conducted an ethnographic reconnaissance of Xawaal Dheri, a small village that then had approximately 250 inhabitants. Part of Ellison's study involved collecting a representational sample of the material culture used by the people of Xawaal Dheri. His notes indicate that the "collection represents standard artifacts found in most households in the village, as well as specialty items found only in specific sections of the village." The collection, which includes this pot, came to the MSU Museum in 1988. It is an important collection because, in Ellison's words, it represents a "slice out of time," a specific moment in a community's history. Collector(s) / Donor(s) Statement The Object(s) Combs like this are used to coif the hair. They are also set in the hair to enhance the beauty of the wearer. These combs are interesting objects from a historical perspective because they represent a tradition that crosses geographic and cultural boundaries. Elaborately carved wood combs are objects of personal adornment used by peoples living in Somalia and all along the Swahili Coast of East Africa. The comb's basic form and surface decoration--distinctive non-figurative, geometric designs--reflect a history of shared historical experiences among the peoples of coastal East Africa and the southern Arabian peninsula. This comb is not one of the artifacts included in Ellison's MSU Museum collection. It was given to Ellison as a gift before he left Somalia and remains in his possession. However, he loaned it to the Museum for this exhibition because it is a particularly interesting object. It is a "traditional" object, wood hair combs have been common feature in Somali society for a long time, but this example incorporates a poignant reference to the contemporary socio-political situation in Somalia--one side of the comb has engraved on its surface a schematic rendering of an AK-47 rifle. Further Information Books and Articles Vinigi L. Grottanelli. "Somali Wood Engravings." African Arts 1 (3) 1968: 8-13, 72-73, 96. Vinigi L. Grottanelli. "Somali Wood Engravings," Somalia in Image and Word, ed. by K.S. Loughran, et al, pp. 97-104, 171-72. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1986. [Reprint of the previous article.] Internet Resourcesnone
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