The Comparative Galleries show brass figures in the Fry Collection, side by side with similar brass figures in public museums and private collections. Click HERE for entry.

Many objects have already been correctly attributed to Ldamie. Attribution has been added to unattributed works that clearly fall within the range of Ldamie’s work, as evidenced by style and subject matter, including physical features, dress, ornamentation, ritual and work implements, and pose; as well as surface characteristics and apparent work techniques, among others. With more examples to work from, a deeper understanding of the breadth and scope of Ldamie's work can be achieved.

Note that this curator is willing to change attributions, even museum attributions, where it seems necessary. The truth of the matter is that there has not been an effort to fully study the brass casters of Liberia, and confusion abounds. Indeed, outside of museums, and where there is uncertainty, some figures are attributed to Ldamie, for the simple reason that it is a technique to enhance sales at auction.

In addition to the Ldamie galleries, separate galleries are set aside for Bwaiwehn (Bwayen) and John Leh. Some of the work of these Liberian brass casters is clearly attributable to them, and items that are similar, for the same reasons as set forth above, have been added.

Gallery F is dedicated to animals, and some objects may be shown in both this gallery and the galleries of the makers. Gallery G is the largest gallery, and includes objects this curator is unwilling to attribute, although many seem to be identifiable. It is believed that a wider consensus should be reached before attributing many of these items.

Finally, beyond Ldamie, Bwaiwehn and John Leh, we observe that there may have been other other brass casters working in Liberia, for whom no objects have been attributed, perhaps the most prominent of these being Munmie, identified by Barbara Johnson as an older relative from whom Ldamie learned the craft of metal work and brass casting, Four Dan Sculptors, The Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco (1986), p. 53. It also should not be surprising that, given the current popularity of the work of Liberian brass casters, fake objects may now be in circulation.

For all of these reasons, an extensive and thorough study needs to be undertaken.

IMPORTANT NOTES:

All images in The Comparative Galleries have been modified from the original to remove distracting backgrounds, tags and rulers; and a uniform, monochromatic, white background has been added. It is the hope of the curator that someday all of the known work of Ldamie will be photographed in high resolution, on white, unobtrusive backgrounds. Note that while many of the objects were derived from museum collections, a great number are found in the AHDRC database. Reference numbers, allowing reference directly to the objects as they appear in the database, have been added.

All images are presented under ownership, license, or pursuant to fair use doctrine of United States Copyright Law, U.S.C. Title 17, Sec. 107. Any other reproduction or use is strictly forbidden.

Please note that DMOMA does not control rights and reproductions for the images in the database. Persons seeking permission to publish or otherwise reproduce an image should contact the image source.