{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O70174"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O70174/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2023NP8489/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2023NP8489/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2023NP8489","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2023NP8496","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2023NP8497","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2023NP8491","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2023NP8493","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2023NP8494","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2023NP8495","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2023NP8502","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2023NP8503","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2023NP8501","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2006BB9373","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2017JT6816","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2017JT6831","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2017JT6836","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2017JU3031","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2017JU3086","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O70174/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O70174","accessionNumber":"A.4-1941","objectType":"Bust","titles":[{"title":"Serpentine Bust of a Black Woman","type":""}],"summaryDescription":"This Italian sculpture most likely dates from the 16th century. The bust’s short-shell curls bear resemblance to a number of late 16th century statuettes of Black Africans, particularly a bronze depiction of a young Black slave attributed to Andrea Riccio. The headband would once have been gilded and there are holes for lost earrings, with both of these features common in depictions of both African men and women. As a result, there has been some debate over whether this figure is an adolescent boy or girl. The motif of an ear piecing was sometimes used in the 16th century to illustrate an imagined ideal of voluntary slavery, a symbol which remained popular at least into the 17th century.\n\nThe bust is remarkable for both its medium and quality. It is carved in the hard, semiprecious, dark green stone serpentine, which was prized in the ancient world. This tendency to use coloured stone for sculpture and decorative carving was particularly popular in central Italy and Rome in the late 16th and early 17th centuries; however, this bust is remarkable for both its medium and quality, with serpentine rarely used in sculpture. The lower edge of the bust is curved and bevelled, suggesting that it was originally set into a bronze or marble base. The base is likely a later addition, with the stone of a much less fine quality.","physicalDescription":"Serpentine bust of a Black woman with closely cropped curls, wearing a headband with traces of gilding. There are holes in the ears for earrings. The lower edge of the bust is curved and bevelled. The base is likely a later addition, possibly 19th century.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Unknown","id":"A1848"},"association":{"text":"","id":""},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"serpentine","id":"AAT11627"}],"techniques":[{"text":"carved","id":"AAT53149"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Carved serpentine","categories":[{"text":"Black History","id":"THES48989"},{"text":"Sculpture","id":"THES48896"},{"text":"Hardstone","id":"THES270137"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"SCP","id":"THES48600"},"images":["2023NP8489","2023NP8496","2023NP8497","2023NP8491","2023NP8493","2023NP8494","2023NP8495","2023NP8502","2023NP8503","2023NP8501","2006BB9373","2017JT6816","2017JT6831","2017JT6836","2017JU3031","2017JU3086"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"003","id":"THES341560"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Bust","id":"AAT47457"}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Italy","id":"x28927"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"16th century","earliest":"1500-01-01","latest":"1600-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Purchased from Messrs. T. Lumley, London, for £50 in 1941.","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"15.75","unit":"in","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"with base","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Serpentine bust of a young Black woman, Italian, probably 16th century.","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Bindman, David and Louis Gates Jr., Henry (ed.),<u> <u>T</u><u>he Image of the Black in Western Art, Volume III Part 1.</u></u> From the \"Age of Discovery\" to the Age of Abolition: Artists of the Renaissance and Baroque. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 2010, p.171."},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Seelig, Lorenz, '\"A welcome in the shape of a Moor's head of silver-driven work\": The rediscovered Mohrenkopf cup by Christoph Jamnitzeeer from the late 16th century' in Eikelmann, Renate (ed.), <u>Der Mohrenkopfpokal von Christoph Jamnitzer</u> Exhibition Catalogue, Bavarian National Museum, Munich, 2002, pp. 86-7."},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Ladurie, Emmanuel Le Roy (ed.), <u>Vrai ou Faux?: Copier, Imiter, Falsifier</u> (exposition, Paris), Bibliothèque nationale, [Cabinet des médailles et des antiques, 6 mai-29 octobre 1988], p.45."},{"reference":{"text":"Hofmann, Werner. <i>Zauber der Medusa : Europäische Manierismen</i>, Wien : Löcker, 1987","id":"AUTH357936"},"details":"no. V70","free":""},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Pope-Hennessy, John. <u>Catalogue of Italian Sculpture in the Victoria and Albert Museum.</u> London: Her Majesty's Stationary Office, 1964. pp.479-480."}],"production":"There has been some debate about the date and attribution of this sculpture. It was once thought to be after Giambologna and has been variously dated to the 16th or 18th century.","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[{"text":"Head of a Young Person\r\nThis Italian sculpture probably dates from the sixteenth century. The headband would once have been gilded and there are holes for lost earrings. Because African men were often depicted wearing these items, there is some debate over whether the figure is an adolescent boy or girl.","date":{"text":"October 2002","earliest":"2002-10-01","latest":"2002-10-31"}}],"partNumbers":["A.4-1941"],"accessionNumberNum":"4","accessionNumberPrefix":"A","accessionYear":1941,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":["2019LV9616"],"recordModificationDate":"2026-01-12","recordCreationDate":"2002-11-14","availableToBook":false}}