By Jamie Atkinson
The University Museum welcomed a 26 piece exhibit to the David Filderman Gallery on January 12th, showcasing nine countries across western and central Africa, in order to highlight the relationship between form and function in common African culture materials. Items such as headdresses, masks, knives and symbolic structures will be displayed until March 15.
The program, entitled “Out of Africa,” which is located on the 9th floor Joan and Donald E. Axinn Library, presented the items grouped together by type in glass cases and cabinets. Each item is accompanied by a short description detailing the objects use and aesthetic value. Curated by Eleanor Rait, the event’s purpose is to give a voice to the cultures of the Sub-Saharan through artifacts.
All of the pieces on display date back to the 19th and 20th centuries. The headdresses and masks vary in sizes, from simple face coverings to elaborate headdresses that are supported by being strapped to the chest. The exhibit also contained nine different blades, varying in length and size. Many of these blades include features such as embossed blades and elaborately carved handles.
“This exhibition provides an opportunity to spotlight the University Museum’s rich collection of African art,” said Director of the University Museum Beth E. Levinthal, via a press release posted on the University website. “Audiences can take a closer look at the meaning and significance of the art while gaining a greater application for its aesthetic impact. Viewers also discover the rich cultural traditions that continue to influence art of the present-day.”
“I really appreciated the lay out of the gallery,” said Robert Chambers, a freshman Fine Arts- Sculpture Jewelry major. “You really got a lot more from the exhibit because they didn’t just give you the name of the object and it’s date. The background they gave you really made you interested in the piece.”
University Anthropology Professor, Cheryl Mwaria, will give a lecture on the relationships between these items Friday at 2:30 p.m. in the gallery.
The African artifacts above are just a few of the pieces on display in the “Out of Africa” program on the 9th floor of the Axinn Library.