- Found In
- nnrc (CstRLIN)NYPG085000078-F
- Description
- 96 gambling chips.
- Summary
- The Jean Kenyon McKenzie Collection of Abbia gambling chips, produced and used by men of the Beti traditional society of Cameroon, date from the early to mid-20th century. Abbia chips are small carved oval shaped discs approximately 1x2 inches. They are used in a game of chance, a form of gambling involving a minimum of four players who bet on the outcome of tossing a basket containing both carved and uncarved chips. It follows the principles of "heads" or "tails", except, the winner is determined by the position of all the chips and there ratio to each other. Chips are carved in low relief from the seed of an elan tree, ("Mimusops Congolensis"). There are hundreds of known designs, which are representational in style and include diverse subjects: animals, plants humans; manufactured objects, trade goods, masks and musical instruments. "Abbia" chips in the collection are predominantly figurative and animal motifs.
- Donor/Sponsor
- Schomburg NEH Automated Access to Special Collections Project.
- Subject
- Access (note)
- Access to the collection is by appointment only and is restricted to qualified and experienced researchers.
- Cite As (note)
- From the collection of the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, The New York Public Library, Astor Lenox & Tilden Foundation, Arts & Artifacts Division.
- Terms of Use (note)
- Works from the collection may be borrowed for exhibition purposes. Photography of art or artifacts in the collection is prohibited. In most instances, prints of collection items are available for sale to researchers. Permission for loan and to reproduce prints for publication must be obtained in writing.
- Linking Entry (note)
- Forms part of the African Art and Artifacts Collection.
- Call Number
- Sc Art (Jean Kenyon McKenzie collection)
- OCLC
- NYPG085000083-F
- Author
McKenzie, Jean Kenyon. Collector
- Title
[Jean Kenyon McKenzie collection] [realia].
- Imprint
1900?-1936.
- Access
Access to the collection is by appointment only and is restricted to qualified and experienced researchers.
- Cite As:
From the collection of the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, The New York Public Library, Astor Lenox & Tilden Foundation, Arts & Artifacts Division.
- Terms Of Use
Works from the collection may be borrowed for exhibition purposes. Photography of art or artifacts in the collection is prohibited. In most instances, prints of collection items are available for sale to researchers. Permission for loan and to reproduce prints for publication must be obtained in writing.
- Linking Entry
Forms part of the African Art and Artifacts Collection.
- Found In:
nnrc (CstRLIN)NYPG085000078-F
- Research Call Number
Sc Art (Jean Kenyon McKenzie collection)