The pair of Drumsticks are carved with images that address the differences between male and female. Many Native American cultures recognize the complementary and yet different social roles of men and women in community life. This mutual dependency extends to religious ritual, as acknowledged by the male and female faces carved in the drumsticks used for the most sacred episodes of the Delaware Big House ceremony.
Details
| Artist | Delaware, Native American |
|---|---|
| Title |
|
| Date | between 1875 and 1900 |
| Medium | carved wood with pigment |
| Dimensions | Overall: 19 5/8 × 2 15/16 × 1 inches (49.8 × 7.5 × 2.5 cm) |
| Credit Line | Founders Society Purchase, Dabco/Frank American Indian Art Fund and Henry Ford II Fund |
| Accession Number | 1983.28.2 |
| Department | Africa, Oceania & Indigenous Americas |
| On View | Native American S130, Level 1 (see map) |
Provenance
Frank Gouldsmith Speck (1881-1950), anthropologist and professor at the University of Pennsylvania;
by descent through Speck family;
1981, purchased by (Jonathan Holstein, New York, New York, USA);
1983-present, purchase by the Detroit Institute of Arts (Detroit, Michigan, USA)
by descent through Speck family;
1981, purchased by (Jonathan Holstein, New York, New York, USA);
1983-present, purchase by the Detroit Institute of Arts (Detroit, Michigan, USA)
Published References
Bulletin of the DIA: Annual Report (1984): p. 13 (fig. 11).