Object Record
Images
Metadata
Title |
Ceremonial Paddle (tembe pali) |
Object ID |
1999.9.1 |
Collection |
AFRICAN |
Object Name |
Paddle |
Material |
Wood |
Dimensions |
W-10.6 L-93.6 cm |
Description |
Decorated canoe paddles (tembe pali), mid-20th century. Wood, paint. Artist unknown (Suriname). Maroons hold a special place in the history of Africans and their descendants in the Americas. From the mid-1600s, their enslaved ancestors escaped the coastal plantations of the Dutch colony of Suriname and established free communities deep in the interior where the riverine and forested landscape provided both mobility and security. While Maroon is the most widely employed ethnonym, some prefer to describe themselves as Fiiman, meaning "Freemen" or "Free People." Both terms evoke a legacy of resistance and self-determination that remains critically relevant. Maroon peoples of Suriname or Fiiman have long been renowned for tembe, traditional art forms including domestic architecture, vibrant textiles and intricately carved household objects. They exemplify ways in which sculptors and textile artists utilize color and geometric pattern to transform items meant for daily use into works of art infused with personal and communal meaning. Since Suriname’s independence from the Netherlands on Nov. 25, 1975, Maroon populations have faced major economic, political, and social challenges that have significantly affected many aspects of their way of life, including artistic practices. Nonetheless, tembe remains an important element of being Fiiman. The exhibition, "Fiiman Tembe: Maroon Arts from Suriname," opens with an array of objects carved in wood, studded with tin or metal nails, or painted in the colors of Suriname and the Netherlands. These embellishments derive from African, European, and indigenous Amerindian artistic traditions — often seamlessly — as reflected in three meticulously carved canoe paddles on view. Perhaps the most widely recognized genre of Fiiman tembe, canoe paddles are representative of personal independence and mobility, and are prized possessions as well as symbols of leadership. Retrieved from:http://newsroom.ucla.edu/releases/new-exhibition-at-fowler-museum-highlights-maroon-arts-from-suriname |
Subjects |
Maroons- Suriname |
Search Terms |
Fiiman |
Credit line |
Courtesy: The Institute of Jamaica |
Legal Status |
This image can be used for educational purposes without restrictions. A higher quality image may attract fees. |
Provenance |
Suriname |
Place of Origin |
Surinam |
Web Rights |
In Copyrights |