During his years along the coast of
equatorial and central Africa, and particularly along the Loango coast,
Steckelmann collected a range of objects that
documented aspects of daily life and local customs. Thus, he acquired
figure carvings and masks, carved ivories, musical instruments, basketry,
fiber mats, and other objects, some of which he clearly admired for
their artistry. He also acquired items such as utensils, weapons, wire
and nail currency, samples of natural rubber, and specimens of local
animal skins and teeth that fulfilled a broader and more comprehensive
approach to collecting that was appreciated by museums in
the nineteenth century. Indeed, as the Cincinnati Museum Association
annual report for 1889 states, the Steckelmann Collection was
admired not only for the value of its objects but for the “intelligent
system followed in their collection.”
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