Tesa Ya Ma Kanya (Snuff Mortar)

About this Brooklyn Icon

The Brooklyn Museum is commemorating its 200th anniversary by spotlighting 200 standout objects in its encyclopedic collection.

Snuff, or finely ground tobacco, entered the market of Central Africa’s western coast in the 16th century through Portuguese and Dutch traders. In the regions that now encompass modern-day Angola, Zambia, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Chokwe woodworking artists, or songi, carved intricate sculptures that doubled as containers or mortars for snuff. Acquired in 1922, this example was one of the first objects to enter into the Brooklyn Museum’s holdings.

Made of wood and adorned with beads or upholstery studs, such objects would often be commissioned by Chokwe rulers for use as stylish serving tools at important occasions. Strategically, distinctive snuff containers represented wealth and status both to members of elite circles and to foreigners, which actively contributed to Chokwe superiority.

This container depicts a royal female ancestor seated on a chief’s throne with an elaborate coiffure and brass earrings. The figure holds her breast as a symbolic reference to nurturing the chiefdom. While these elements represent characteristic Chokwe traits of mythological spirituality, ancestor veneration, and elite adornment, the four-legged backed chair reveals a European influence: it resembles folding chairs brought to the regions by the Portuguese and Dutch.