BETTE LAWHON Art |
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In art, there are
no rules, only ways,
Pearl of Great Price |
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Africa, I sought to convey the wonder and mystery of these objects. All are hand wrought and are functional in the lives of nomadic tribesman of the Tokar region of Sudan. Many of these people are dying as result of the current war there that prevents them from reaching or growing food.
Represented is a tassled gourd vessel, a cofee "pot ", a cup and spoon, venetion glass trading beads, a belt and dagger used for slaughtering livestock, small leather "books" containing the Koran, and a long sword. The sword has an English blade, "Taken in the great uprising", when Sudanese tribesman fought the British for their independance. Nomadic artists created their own scabbard(the widened end helps retract the blade easily), and reworked the hilt in their own designs. Because of the influence of Persian culture on these African Muslims, I placed the objects on an iranian tapestry, in the shadow of an ancient Persian wall. The Arabic script is the Bismallah,
a sacred prayer that reads right to left, meaning:
"In the name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate "
This universal blessing is pronounced,
"Biss'-Me-Allah,-Al-Rock'-Man-Al-Rackh'-eem".
Sold to an anonymous collector 1993