The Slovenian Ethnographic Museum houses numerous collections of wooden sculptures from around the world. In this work we have examined nine African sculptures from Mali and the Ivory Coast. The goal of the thesis was microscopic wood species identification. These sculptures are made of unknown wood species that we are not familiar with, making macroscopic identification impossible. After the final selection, we precisely examined, described and photographed the sculptures. Based on the shapes of the sculptures and a review of the literature, we were able to assign specific sculptures to specific regions of Africa and infer the ethnic groups in which the sculptures were made. We carefully collected samples for anatomical analysis, taking care to ensure that the structural integrity of the sculptures remained unchanged and that the sampling points were not visible after restoration. From the specimens, we made permanent anatomical preparations for microscopic identification of the wood species. Using a microscope, existing literature, and anatomical characteristics, we were able to determine that the sculptures were made from different wood species. The data on the wood species will be a valuable contribution to the documentation of the sculptures in the Slovenian Ethnographic Museum in Ljubljana.
|
