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Bokani, a Pigmy chief

JOHN, Sir William Goscombe

Bokani, a Pigmy chief
Image: By permission of Amgueddfa Cymru — Museum Wales
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This rare portrait bust is by the Welsh sculptor, Goscombe John. It depicts Bokani, who was one of six Congolese Pygmies brought to Europe in 1905. The group aroused intense curiosity and were shown to the public at packed venues in towns and cities throughout the UK, including Wales. While they mainly appeared in music halls, they also went to Buckingham Palace and were even displayed at a zoo. Amongst other works, the Bokani has been part of a display intervention staged by Kick the Dust’s Youth Heritage project. Through a series of workshops, participants felt that the people represented in these works, including Bokani, were classed as objects and identified only through association with empire and colonialism or through Goscombe John. They wanted to highlight the sitters as individuals in their own right through their stories and experiences. Label from '[un]seen [un]heard]' display intervention 2020: "Bokani was one of a group of six Congolese Pygmies brought to Britain as so-called living specimens for an ethnological showcase. Viewed as a spectacle, and not speaking English, meant their performances focused on their differences. During their stay, they also toured a number of places in Wales, including Barmouth and Aberystwyth in 1906."

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Copyright statement provided by Amgueddfa Cymru – Museum Wales

Details


Collection

Amgueddfa Cymru – Museum Wales

Item Number

NMW A 2626

Creation/Production

JOHN, Sir William Goscombe
Date: 1905

Acquisition

Gift, 1925
Given by Sir William Goscombe John

Techniques

Bronze
Techniques (sculpture)
Fine Art - sculpture

Material

Bronze

Location

on display
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Tags


  • Art And Design Movements
  • Black Identity
  • Fine Art
  • Identity
  • John, Sir William Goscombe
  • Man
  • New Sculpture
  • People
  • Portrait
  • Sculpture

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