Frank Sherman Benson Fund

Frank Sherman Benson Fund

Pair of metal binoculars. Eye piece assembly is made of brass, with a black patina. Below it at centre sits a rigged focussing knob. The barrels are covered in a hard black leather and flare slightly toward the objective lenses, which are lined with moveable tin tubes that have a pattern of incised, encircling lines.

Woven bilum with curved bottom and handle. Fibre surface is decorated with a geometric pattern in pink and purple. Bag is also decorated with seed and feather ornaments, attached with beaded ties, all over one side and the egdes. The woven handle has small cowrie shells wound around it.

String puppet (marioneta) of the character Bacchus. Face has a protruding upturned nose, thick lips, open mouth, blue-black glass balls for eyes, and blue painted brows. Ears are prominent. Cheeks, nose, ears and lips are bright orange in colour. Hair and beard are made of twisted wire. The head is attached to the body by a single string, and is controlled by a thin wooden stick located on the lower portion. The puppet’s torso is hollow with an open back, made of paper mache. The outer chest is painted purple while the inside is decoupage of black and white magazine photos of nude men and women. The arms are thick pieces of rope hidden in voluminous sleeves of red satiny fabric. Wooden hands are attached to the ends of the ropes and can be controlled by thin wooden sticks. A metal belt spans the puppet’s waist, from which hangs a full, purple vinyl skirt, closed at the bottom.

Assemblage piece: wooden carved figure wearing a hat (part b) and decorated eye glasses (part c). The figure has a long wide face with a long protruding nose and white teeth, and stands with long thin legs on a wooden base. The glasses, incised and painted in multicoloured designs, are held on by the figure's protruding ears. The hat is black felt with a curving brim and has a brown paper label taped to the front and sides which reads: "Chapeu que foi? de Salazar não há brincadeira".

Wooden crucifix. Christ is shown with a green crown, a cloth around his hips with a glittery design and a leather halo above his head. The base has a glass mosaic design and there is a wide wooden leg at the back to hold the figure upright. “I.N.R.I” is carved on a plaque above. A metal bottle opener was added to the top as a hook.

Wooden crucifix on a standing base. Christ has a leather halo above his head and a cloth around his hips. The crucifix has a large base with six feet and a pattern of gold squares and dots painted around it. "I.N.R.I" is painted at the top.

The Elizabeth Cole Butler Collection.

The Elizabeth Cole Butler Collection.