{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O127283"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O127283/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006AU1481/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006AU1481/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2006AU1481","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O127283/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O127283","accessionNumber":"2321-1936","objectType":"Photograph","titles":[{"title":"Ancestral Figure, Gabun, Ogowe River, Bakota","type":"assigned by artist"}],"summaryDescription":"The Museum of Modern Art, New York, held a show of African Sculpture in 1935, promoting sculpture from African countries in a fine art context. They hired the then young photographer and writer Walker Evans to record the objects on display. Most of his sets of 477 prints were destined to tour colleges for black students in the United States, but five were reserved for museums and universities, including the V&A. Evans used a plain background and straighforward lighting to stage each sculpture, resulting in clear and striking records of the artworks.","physicalDescription":"Black and white photograph showing the front view of a figurative sculpture made of metals, against a plain background.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Walker Evans","id":"A10020"},"association":{"text":"photographer","id":"x43821"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[],"techniques":[{"text":"Gelatin silver process","id":"AAT139114"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Gelatin-silver Print","categories":[{"text":"Photographs","id":"THES48910"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"PDP","id":"THES48595"},"images":["2006AU1481"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"LVLF","id":"THES49656"},"free":"","case":"X","shelf":"202","box":"V"}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"photograph","id":"AAT46300"}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"Yes-general","note":"NB: The term \"negro\" was used historically to describe people of black African heritage but, since the 1960s, has fallen from usage and, increasingly, is considered offensive. The term is repeated here in its original historical context."}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"New York","id":"x29030"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"c. 1935","earliest":"1930-01-01","latest":"1939-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Purchased by the V&A","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"22.1","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"image","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"14.7","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"image","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"Pasted to green card: 330 x 267 mm.","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"X.202 / NEW YORK: Museum of Modern Art. / Exhibition of African Negro Art, 1935. / [Photo.  No. 328]","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"Label on mount"},{"content":"328 Ancestral figure (Catalog no. 379) / Gabun, OgoWe River. BaKota / Copper over wood. 22 1/2 inches high / Collection Mme. Helena Rubinstein, New York / See note on plate 325","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"Label on mount"}],"objectHistory":"NB: The term \"negro\" was used historically to describe people of black African heritage but, since the 1960s, has fallen from usage and, increasingly, is considered offensive. The term is repeated here in its original historical context.\r\n\r\nThe Museum of Modern Art, New York, commissioned Walker Evans to photograph its African Negro Art exhibition of 1935. He produced 477 images and 17 sets of these images were printed, one of which the V&A bought for $50.\r\nUsed in display \"V and A Africa: Exploring Hidden Histories\"\r\n15th November 2012- 3rd February 2013","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"20thC Photograph of an Ancestral Figure, Gabun, Ogowe River, Bakota by Walker Evans, 1936","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Kate Best and Sophie Leighton, 'Interwar Photography at the V&A: Modernism and More' in <u>Apollo</u> May 2006"},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"AFRICAN NEGRO ART\n\nPhotographs by Walker Evans \n\nList of Photographs\n\nThe Museum of Modern Art, New York, 1935"},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"<u>African Negro Art</u> Edited by James Johnson Sweeney, The Museum of Modern Art, New York, 1935"}],"production":"Reason For Production: Commission","productionType":{"text":"Limited edition","id":"THES48862"},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[{"text":"sculpture","id":"AAT47090"}],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["2321-1936"],"accessionNumberNum":"2321","accessionNumberPrefix":"","accessionYear":1936,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-04-09","recordCreationDate":"2006-08-22","availableToBook":false}}