Guadeloupe Head
Entry ID
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13 (06/01/2022)
Formal title of the work
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Guadeloupe Head
Description of the sculpture
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A bronze head of a woman displayed on a wooden base. The figure wears large circular earrings and her hair is piled high upon her head.
URLs where this is recorded/available
Type of object
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Head
Base
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Base present - appears to be the original base
Dimensions
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Height: 33.5 cm
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Width: 22.5 cm
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Depth: 21.7 cm
Materials
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Bronze
Specific techniques used
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Casting
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Patination
Overall colour
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Monochrome – other
Inscriptions
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Back of neck: 'Dora Gordine Paris'
Does the Black person have a specific identity?
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Anonymous: specific individual but not currently identifiable
Role within sculpture
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Main protagonist
Gender
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Female
Age
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Adult
Status
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Free citizen
Clothing
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No clothes included (head)
Evidence of enslavement
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None
Evidence of 'exotic' status
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None
Action or activity
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Not relevant (head)
Emotional state
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Neutral/emotionless
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Noble/proud
Focus of gaze of Black person
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Unfocussed/blank eyeballs
Sculptural context
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No location included/implied
Sculptor
Place of production
Period of production
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Twentieth century (1900-1999)
Date of Production
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c. 1926-28
Date inferred from
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Recorded in related documentation
Original purpose
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Decorative
Original display setting
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Unknown
Current owner
Current / most recently known location
Accession number
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1994.1_CC0339
Provenance history
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1926/8-1994: in possession of the artist, Dora Gordine
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1994: given to Dorich House Museum by the artist's estate
Notes
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While studying in Paris, Dora Gordine modelled this head from a woman she met by chance in the city. The cast is by Valsuani.
Related objects
Current rights holder
License terms for reuse
Linked resources
Filter by property
| Title | Alternate label | Class |
|---|---|---|
 Guadaloupe Head |
Related objects | E22 Man-Made Object |
http://13.41.147.145/s/database/item/37, . and http://13.41.147.145/s/database/item/85, . (no date) ‘Guadeloupe Head’, Black People in European Sculpture, accessed May 5, 2025, http://13.41.147.145/s/database/item/224
