Personal power may be expressed through articles of status and prestige worn on the body or displayed in the home. Found in almost every culture, prestige objects often serve to augment a person physically or metaphorically. They may include emblems, insignia, or jewelry; objects made from rare and precious materials; labor-intensive works of art; and things of beauty, refinement, elegance, and grace. This section features prestige articles in materials ranging from gold and ivory to jade and brass, and it highlights complex artistic technologies such as lost-wax casting, appliqué, goldsmithing, ceramic manufacture, and precision carving.
Object Name: Lamp
Artist: Unknown
Place of Origin: Nepal
Date: 19th century
Dimensions: H: 22.30 cm, W: 15.80 cm, D: 29.90 cm
Materials Used: Brass
Credit Line and Accession Number: Fowler Museum at UCLA. Gift of the Pal Family. X2001.11.95
Not Currently On View in Intersections
Mask
Lega peoples
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Ivory
H: 16.90cm, W: 8.20 cm, D: 2.60 cm.
Fowler Museum at UCLA. Gift of Jay T. Last. X2004.17.14.
Anthropomorphic figure – bust
Lega peoples
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Ivory
H: 13.90 cm, W: 7.10 cm, D: 8 cm.
Fowler Museum at UCLA. Gift of Jay T. Last. X2004.17.6.
Object Name: Figure
Artist: Unknown
Culture: Maya
Place of Origin: Jaina Island, Mexico
Date/Era: 600 – 900 C.E.
Medium/Materials: Ceramic, pigment
Dimensions: H: 17.3 cm, W: 8.5 cm, D: 8.5 cm (H: 6.8 in, W: 3.3 in, D: 3.3 in)
Credit Line: Fowler Museum at UCLA. Gift of the Goldenberg Family Trust.
Accession Number: X2005.18.2
Not Currently On View in Intersections
Object Name: Figure
Artist: Unknown
Culture: Maya
Place of Origin: Jaina Island, Mexico
Date/Era: 600 – 900 C.E.
Medium/Materials: Ceramic, pigment
Dimensions: H: 20.0 cm, W: 7.5 cm, D: 6.7 cm (H: 7.9 in, W: 2.9 in, D: 2.6 in)
Credit Line: Fowler Museum at UCLA. Gift of the Goldenberg Family Trust.
Accession Number: X2005.18.3
Object Name: Acrobat effigy vessel
Artist: Unknown
Place of Origin: West Mexico
Date/Era: 1200 – 1500 C.E.
Medium/Materials: Ceramic, gesso, mineral pigments, gold leaf
Dimensions: H: 14 cm
Credit Line: Fowler Museum at UCLA. Fantel Collection.
Accession Number: X2012.15.9
Not Currently On View in Intersections
Object Name: Figurative cup
Artist: Unknown
Culture: Kuba peoples
Place of Origin: Democratic Republic of the Congo
Date/Era: 19th century
Medium/Materials: Wood
Dimensions: H: 22.5 cm
Credit Line: Fowler Museum at UCLA. Gift of the Wellcome Trust.
Accession Number: X65.3763
Not Currently On View in Intersections
Object Name: Figurative cup
Artist: Unknown
Culture: Kuba peoples
Place of Origin: Democratic Republic of the Congo
Date/Era: 19th century
Dimensions: H: 25 cm
Medium/Materials: Wood, beads
Credit Line: Fowler Museum at UCLA. Gift of the Wellcome Trust.
Accession Number: X65.5451
Miniature mask
Pende peoples, Democratic Republic of the Congo
19th century
Ivory
X65.6165; Gift of the Wellcome Trust.
Object Name: Oil dish
Artist: Unknown
Culture: Tsimshian
Place of Origin: Bella Coola, British Columbia, Canada
Date/Era: 19th century
Dimensions: L: 24.5 cm
Medium/Materials: Wood, paint
Credit Line: Fowler Museum at UCLA. Gift of the Wellcome Trust.
Accession Number: X65.7474
Not Currently On View in Intersections
Headdress
Paiwan peoples
Taiwan
Early 20th century
Cotton, glass beads, teeth, claws, hair, feathers, shell, fiber, yarn, bamboo, metal, brass
H: 47.0 cm, W: 32.0 cm, D: 10.0 cm (H: 18.5 in, W: 12.6 in, D: 3.9 in)
Museum purchase. X65.8159
Armlet
Asante peoples
Kumase, Ghana
Before 1874
Gold
H: 5.2 cm, W: 6.0 cm, D: 5.2 cm (H: 2.0 in, W: 2.4 in, D: 2.0 in)
Fowler Museum at UCLA. Gift of the Wellcome Trust. X65.8524
Gorget
Asante peoples
Kumase, Ghana
Before 1874
Gold
H: 12.5 cm, W: 14.3 cm, D: 2.1 cm (H: 4.9 in, W: 5.6 in, D: .82 in)
Gift of the Wellcome Trust. X65.8525
Object Name: Plaque pendant
Artist: Unknown
Culture: Edo peoples
Place of Origin: Kingdom of Benin, present-day Nigeria
Date/Era: Circa 1550-1650 C.E.
Dimensions: H: 16.8 cm, W: 15.1 cm, D: 5.0 cm (H: 6.6 in, W: 5.9 in, D: 1.9 in)
Medium/Materials: Brass
Credit Line: Fowler Museum at UCLA. Gift of the Wellcome Trust.
Accession Number: X65.9085
Object Name: Belt mask
Artist: Unknown
Culture: Edo peoples
Place of Origin: Kingdom of Benin, present-day Nigeria
Date/Era: 18th century
Dimensions: H: 19.0 cm, W: 11.7 cm, D: 5.7 cm (H: 7.4 in, W: 4.6 in, D: 2.2 in)
Medium/Materials: Bronze
Credit Line: Fowler Museum at UCLA. Gift of the Wellcome Trust.
Accession Number: X65.9087
Object Name: Altar tusk
Artist: Unknown, probably commissioned by Oba Osemwende
Culture: Edo peoples
Place of Origin: Kingdom of Benin, present-day Nigeria
Date/Era: Early 19th century
Medium/Materials: Ivory
Dimensions: H: 180 cm, DIAM: 12.1 cm
Credit Line: Fowler Museum at UCLA. Gift of the Wellcome Trust.
Accession Number: X65.9129
Not Currently On View in Intersections
Object Name: Necklace
Artist: Unknown
Cultural Group: Zande-Mangbetu peoples
Place of Origin: Democratic Republic of the Congo
Date: 18th-19th century
Dimensions: H: 33.00 cm, W: 38.00 cm, D: 3.80 cm
Materials Used: Hippopotamus teeth, hide, metal
Credit Line and Accession Number: Fowler Museum at UCLA. Gift of the Wellcome Trust. X67.881
Object Name: Xipe Totec effigy vessel
Artist: Unknown
Place of Origin: West Mexico
Date/Era: Circa 1200 – 1500 C.E.
Medium/Materials: Ceramic, slip, gold leaf
Dimensions: H: 16.2 cm
Credit Line: Fowler Museum at UCLA. Gift of Mr. Arthur Addis.
Accession Number: X73.273
Necklace
Yemen, obtained in Israel
19th-early 20th century
Silver
H: 37.0 cm, W: 38.0 cm, D: 1.0 cm (H: 14.5 in, W: 14.9 in, D: .39 in)
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Eugene L. Trope in memory of Sophia Friedman. X77.486
Jade mask
Olmec peoples
Veracruz, Mexico
Pre-classic, 1000-500 B.C.E.
Serpentine, pigment
H: 15.2 cm, W: 11.3 cm, D: 4.8 cm (H: 5.9 in, W: 4.4 in, D: 1.9 in)
Gift of Mr. Dennis Carlson and Mr. J. Clinton Shaver. X80.1144
Not Currently On View in Intersections
Object Name: Container in the form of a sarimanok bird
Artist: Unknown
Culture: Maranao peoples
Place of Origin: Mindanao, Philippines
Date/Era: 19th to early 20th century
Dimensions: Wood, horn, metal
Medium/Materials: H: 22.8 cm, L: 43.8 cm, W: 10.5 cm (H: 8.9 in, L: 17.2 in, W: 4.1 in)
Credit Line: Fowler Museum at UCLA. Gift of Mrs. Elizabeth Lloyd Davis.
Accession Number: X82.1545
Not Currently On View in Intersections
Pectoral ornament (sipattal)
Isneg peoples
Apayao, northern Luzon, Philippines
Early-mid 20th century
Shell, beads, string
H: 24.0 cm, W: 19.0 cm, D: 1.0 cm (H: 9.4 in, W: 7.5 in, D: .39 in)
Gift of Mrs. W. Thomas Davis. X85.446
Not Currently On View in Intersections
Object Name: Figure
Artist: Unknown
Culture: Olmec
Place of Origin: Central Mexico
Date/Era: Pre-Classic, 1000 – 500 B.C.E.
Medium/Materials: Jade
Dimensions: H: 18.0 cm, W: 7.5 cm, D: 3.0 cm (H: 7.1 in, W: 2.9 in, D: 1.2 in)
Credit Line: Fowler Museum at UCLA. Gift of Mr. Harry M. Brittenham.
Accession Number: X85.864
Not Currently On View in Intersections
Skirt
Kuba peoples
Democratic Republic of the Congo
19th century
Raffia and natural dye
L: 404.0 cm, D: 74.0 cm (L: 159.0 in, D: 29.1 in)
Fowler Museum at UCLA. Gift of the Christensen Fund. X86.904
Pendant
Mikisi Mihasi
Luba peoples
Katanga Province, Democratic Republic of the Congo
18th-19th century
Hippopotamus tusk
H: 10.0 cm, D: 3.0 cm, W: 5.5 cm (H: 3.9 in, D: 1.2 in, W: 2.2 in)
The Jerome L. Joss Collection. X87.1321
Object Name: Linguist staff
Artist: Osei Bonsu (1900 – 1977)
Culture: Asante peoples
Place of Origin: Kumasi, Ghana
Date/Era: Circa 1930
Dimensions: H: 38.5 cm
Medium/Materials: Wood, gold leaf
Credit Line: Fowler Museum at UCLA. Gift of Steve and Linda Nelson.
Accession Number: X88.680A
Tusk
Kongo peoples
Loango Coast, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Circa 1850
Ivory
L: 42.5 cm, W: 6.5 cm, D: 4.5 cm (L: 16.7 in, W: 2.6 in, D: 1.8 in)
Fowler Museum at UCLA. The Jerome L. Joss Collection. X91.297