NAACP Image Award received by Della Reese: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

An NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series received by Della Reese for her role in "Touched by an Angel" at the 27th iteration of the award ceremony. The award is a kneeling nude male form with his arms stretched above his head, holding the earth in his hands. The silver metal figure is mounted to a two-tiered round black base. The larger of the two bases has a metal plate attached almost all the way around that reads: [27th NAACP Image Awards / Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series / DELLA REESE / "Touched By An Angel"]

The upper portion of the tiered base is cracked around the figure's knees and next to the PL knee. Some scratches throughout base. The lower portion of the tiered base is chipped at the front, above the word "Image" on the plaque. There is a corresponding indent on the plaque, between the words "NAACP" and "Image." The plaque is also scratched under the words "Outstanding Lead."

Materials, dates and provenance

• Date: 1996
• Manufactured by: Unidentified
• Received by: Della Reese, American, 1937 - 2017
• Commissioned by: National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, American, founded 1909
• Type: trophies (prizes)
• Type: figurines
• Medium: metal , wood
• Dimensions: H x W x D: 14 1/2 × 8 1/4 × 8 1/4 in. (36.8 × 21 × 21 cm)
• Place used: Pasadena, Los Angeles County, California, United States, North and Central America
• Topic: African American
• Topic: Singers (Musicians)
• Topic: Television
• Object number: 2015.150.1
• Credit Line: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Rev. Della Reese-Lett and Mr. Franklin Lett
• Data Source: National Museum of African American History and Culture

Sources and reuse

Catalogue descriptions and facts adapted from National Museum of African American History and Culture through the Smithsonian's official Open Access dataset. This record explicitly marks its metadata CC0 1.0; formatting and selection have been changed. The underlying object's rights statement is: Unknown - Restrictions Possible Rights assessment and proper usage is the responsibility of the user.