{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O82948"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O82948/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006AF9279/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006AF9279/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"low","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2006AF9279","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London/Maud Sulter","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":null},"record":{"systemNumber":"O82948","accessionNumber":"E.1795-1991","objectType":"Photograph","titles":[{"title":"Terpsichore (Delta Streete)","type":"assigned by artist"},{"title":"Zabat","type":"series title"}],"summaryDescription":"This photograph is from a series of portraits of creative black women by Maud Sulter, who is of Ghanaian and Scottish parentage. The series is called Zabat and shows each woman as one of the nine Greek muses. The word Zabat describes an ancient ritual dance performed by women on occasions of power, and her use of it signifies Maud Sulter's call for a repositioning of black women in the history of photography \r\n\r\nThe model here is the performance artist Delta Streete who had created the costume she is pictured wearing as part of a dance performance and installation called The Quizzing Class, which explored relationships between women, particularly that between slave and mistress. Here Streete is presented as Terpsichore, the muse of dance.\r\n\r\nMaud Sulter produced the Zabat series for Rochdale Art Gallery in 1989, the 150th anniversary of the invention of photography. It was a direct response to the lack of a black presence at other celebratory events and exhibitions.","physicalDescription":"Photograph of Delta Streete represented as Terpsichore, the muse of dance.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Sulter, Maud","id":"A10058"},"association":{"text":"photographer","id":"AAT25687"},"note":""},{"name":{"text":"Maud Sulter","id":"A10058"},"association":{"text":"photographer","id":"AAT25687"},"note":"Maud Sulter was an artist, feminist, historian and curator of Ghanaian and Scottish heritage whose work spans photography, film and installation.  She curated several exhibitions and published books and catalogues through her publishing imprint, Urban Fox Press. Her project Zabat comprises allegorical portraits of contemporary Black women, where each woman represents one of the nine Greek muses. Here, we see the conventions of Victorian portrait photography under the command of a Black woman photographer. The backdrop, props and seated pose are retained but images are transformed with African clothes, non-European objects and women of colour at their centre. The word Zabat describes an ancient ritual dance performed by women on occasions of power, and her use of it signifies Sulter’s call for a repositioning of Black women in the history of photography. \r\n\r\nSulter produced the Zabat series for Rochdale Art Gallery in 1989, the 150th anniversary of the invention of photography. It was a direct response to the lack of a Black presence at other celebratory events and exhibitions. \r\n"}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[],"techniques":[],"materialsAndTechniques":"Dye destruction print","categories":[{"text":"Photographs","id":"THES48910"},{"text":"Black History","id":"THES48989"},{"text":"Portraits","id":"THES48906"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"PDP","id":"THES48595"},"images":["2006AF9279"],"imageResolution":"low","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"A","id":"THES384957"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"photograph","id":"AAT46300"}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Great Britain","id":"x32019"},"association":{"text":"photographed","id":"x30151"},"note":"probably"}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1989","earliest":"1989-01-01","latest":"1989-12-31"},"association":{"text":"photographed","id":"x30151"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[{"object":{"text":"E.1791-1991","id":"O134506"},"association":"Set"},{"object":{"text":"E.1792-1991","id":"O82947"},"association":"Set"},{"object":{"text":"E.1793-1991","id":"O82945"},"association":"Set"},{"object":{"text":"E.1794-1991","id":"O82944"},"association":"Set"},{"object":{"text":"E.1796-1991","id":"O134377"},"association":"Set"},{"object":{"text":"E.1797-1991","id":"O134507"},"association":"Set"},{"object":{"text":"E.1798-1991","id":"O134508"},"association":"Set"},{"object":{"text":"E.1799-1991","id":"O82946"},"association":"Set"}],"creditLine":"Copyright Maud Sulter","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"122","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"153","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Height","value":"140","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"framed","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"116","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"framed","note":""},{"dimension":"Depth","value":"4.5","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"framed","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"Photograph aprox: 128 x 102 cm\r\nFrame: 140 x 116 x 4.5 cm","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"","historicalContext":"Maud Sulter works with photography as well as video and installation. Amongst her recent projects has been a series of allegorical portraits of contemporary black women which used conventional studio techniques along with the trappings of historical displays. Sulter also uses a variety of conventions from portraiture - from 18th century costume to heavy Victorian frames. The contrast between these anachronistic and aristocratic styles and the actual histories of her sitters is used to poetic effect and also raises questions about the nature of 'national' heritage.","briefDescription":"'Terpsichore' (Delta Streete), dye destruction print, Zabat series, Maud Sulter, 1989","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Katy Barron, <u>Looking In. Photographic Portraits by Maud Sulter and Chan-Hyo Bae</u>. London: Ben Uri Gallery, 2013.  ISBN: 978-0-900157-42-4."}],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[{"text":"woman","id":"x35642"},{"text":"wig","id":"AAT46049"}],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[{"text":"This photograph is from a series of portraits of creative black women posed as the nine Greek muses. It shows the performance artist Delta Streete as Terpsichore, the muse of dance. Combining the conventions of historical portraiture - the 18th-century costume and heavy gilt frames - with the representation of contemporary black women, the series raises questions about the nature of 'national' heritage.","date":{"text":"April 2009-April 2010","earliest":"2009-04-01","latest":"2010-04-30"}}],"partNumbers":["E.1795-1991"],"accessionNumberNum":"1795","accessionNumberPrefix":"E","accessionYear":1991,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-07-08","recordCreationDate":"2003-07-30","availableToBook":false}}