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CMC LH991.1060.107
The Javier and Marcela Perez de Cuellar Collection consists of 168
heritage objects representative of member countries of the United
Nations. Mrs. Perez de Cuellar, wife of the former United Nations
Secretary-General Javier Perez de Cuellar, is to be credited for
having assembled the collection during her husband's term in office
from 1982 to 1991.
CMC LH991.1060.102
The collection covers the entire spectrum of designs and trends of
the past and the present. It encompasses virtually every sort of
artistic, decorative and utilitarian object. It includes a wide range
of pottery and porcelaine, lovely boxes, wood carvings and boat
models, basketry and tapestries, lace, metalwork (including silver),
glass, articles of personal adornment and work in semi-precious
stones. As the photos show, the very heart of native Canadian
culture is to be found in the Wolf Bowl. Characteristic of Argentina
is the Bombilla and Maté Gourd set. From Ghana a new international
element has been introduced with a carved-in insignia of the United
Nations on the seat of an ancient form of stool that dates to
legendary times. The delicate lines of the poised bird from Finland
illustrate the vision and skill of its thoroughly-modern creator
Oiva Toikka.
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Canada: Bowl (Wolf) CMC LH991.1060.89
This small food utensil is an emblem of the household. It is used
in feasts and sometimes in everyday life. A wolf bowl is a
delineator of Kwakwaka'wakw culture, where bowls have been a
traditional cultural item. A stylized form of a wolf is painted
in red and green. The top of the snout, the tail and the border are
black. The wolf has several teeth, a rounded eye, nose stretched
forward, ears pointed upwards. Rank is expressed in the art form.
It is rank and social position that allows for the use of the totemic
wolf figure on the bowl. In tales of the mythical animal world, Wolf
is one of the most important animals as a source of supernatural gifts
bestowed upon Kwakwaka'wakw heroes.
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Argentina: Bombilla and Maté Gourd
Set CMC LH991.1060.93 a,b
This container is a genuine folkloric utensil made from a
nearly perfectly-shaped gourd. The top was lopped off to form
an opening at one end that is covered with a rim of decorated
silver. The interior was hollowed out and feels smooth to the touch
from the dried pulp. The outer shell is smooth. It has a rounded
bottom that sits well in the palm of the hand.
Maté is traditionally sipped through a maté sipper called a
Bombilla. This special slender tube comes with a flat spoon-shaped
strainer that is perforated on both sides with tiny holes at the
bottom end. The strainer is placed at the bottom end of the gourd
and prevents leaves from entering the tube. Bombilla and Maté
Gourd Sets are sometimes collected and some are embellished with gold.
What is Maté?
Maté is a tea-like substance made from the dried leaves of a
native holly tree and/or from a plant that grows wild along river
banks. It is caffeine-loaded. The gourd is filled with hot (but
not boiling) water, the tea is left to steep and is slowly sipped.
Custom and ritual practice dictate that the gourd gets passed around
and each person present gets a sip of the Maté, a gesture that
is intended to enhance good fellowship. This tea is the national
beverage of Argentina. It is also drunk all over South America and
was in use by Native peoples long before the arrival of Europeans.
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Ghana: Stool CMC LH991.1060.132
This stool, in traditional style, is made of a light-colored wood
and varnished to gold. Ghanaian folklore depicts a stool as a symbol
of power - even godhood. Power is reflected in the choice of a stool
where a leader would sit in repose. Sitting is associated with order,
the seated position with enthronement. Stools have an important role
and a sacred character, in addition to a symbolic and a utilitarian
one. They are used in a variety of functions: from state occasions
to those that regulate local affairs. They are found at the centre
of many rituals, where their function is to make life more secure.
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Finland: Sculpture (duck) CMC LH991.1060.81
The name of the sculpture is "Alli", a
long-tailed duck created by Oiva Toikka. It is one of Toikka's
(1980) series of "Birds". Alli was designed in 1980 and
produced in 1988. It is a model that is still in production by
popular demand. The outstanding Finnish glass designer is
recognized as an artist of the first order whose art has found
its place in the showcases of collectors.
See more of the Perez de Cuellar
Collection
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