 |
| Ifá Divination Bowl: Opon Igede, early 20th century, Yoruba peoples, city of Osi-Ilorin, Ekiti region, Nigeria; Carver: Dada Areogun of Osi-Ilorin (c. 1880–1954); wood. New Orleans Museum of Art. Museum purchase with funds in honor of E. John Bullard’s twenty-fifth anniversary as director of NOMA. 98.52 |
The peoples living in Central and West Sub-Saharan Africa from the late 17th to the second half of the 20th century produced outstanding works of art, and more than 80 of them are on display in this exhibition. The masks, figures, costumes, ceramics, beadwork, and ivory carvings were used in ceremonies and rituals and reveal much about the religions and societies of the peoples who created and used them.
A powerful part of the show is the great variety of masks on display. The masks—which include a beautiful and dignified carved-wood female mourning-mask created by the Puno/Lumbo peoples of Gabon and a menacing 20th-century helmet-mask made of wood, bones, teeth, horns, feathers, and fiber rope from Cameroon—were used in initiation, fertility, or ancestor worship ceremonies. Many of them centered on dance and were thus central to the spiritual life of their creators.
Early objects in the exhibit include a 16th–17th century brass plaque, beautifully embossed with a leopard against a background of engraved rosettes, and a striking brass, ancestor-shrine figure used in rituals of the Yoruba peoples of Western Nigeria. Ancestor cults played an important role in the societies of the region.
Although most of the works are by anonymous artists, two of the most famous Nigerian sculptors of the early 20th century—Areogun of Osi-Ilorin and Olowe of Ise—are represented. A sculpted house post by Olowe and an intricate figurative bowl and tray by Areogun suggest how individual genius modifies what is often taken to be a traditional African style.
Resonance from the Past is a collaboration between the Museum for African Art, New York, and the New Orleans Museum of Art. Frank Herreman is the guest curator.
On view through December 9 at the Middlebury College Museum of Art. Free
Associated Events:
Lecture/Demonstration: African Percussion and Dance, by Alpha Yaya Diallo and the Bafing Riders
(See the Performing Arts Series page for full information on the residency and performances by these artists.)
Wednesday, October 31, at 12:30 p.m., in the Mahaney Center for the Arts, Dance Theatre. Free
Performance: Alpha Yaya Diallo and the Bafing Riders
(See the Performing Arts Series page for full information on the residency and performances by these artists.)
Thursday, November 1, at 7:30 p.m., in McCullough Student Center. Tickets: $15/12/5
Yaya
The all-female, Afro-Caribbean percussion group Yaya will perform in Global Rhythms, an annual event presented by Wonnacott Commons. Yaya incorporates the Puerto Rican bomba (described by some as a contest between drummer and dancer) and Dominican salve (call and response) into their work. Recognizing the contributions of women in preserving and transmitting the traditions of Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic, Yaya honors the mothers, known as yayas (Creole/Kongo origin), who have helped shape the histories, traditions, and legacies of resistance. Sponsored by the Office of Institutional Diversity, Women’s and Gender Studies, and Wonnacott Commons.
Saturday, November 3, at 8:45 p.m., in McCullough Social Space. Free
 |
| Female Shrine Figure: Onílé or Onílè, early 18th century, Osugbo society, Yoruba peoples, Owu region, Nigeria; copper alloy. New Orleans Museum of Art. Bequest of Victor K. Kiam. 77.158 |
Slide lecture: “Representing Africa: Exhibitions, Photography, and Modern Art”
Wendy Grossman, visiting professor of history of art and architecture.
Thursday, November 8, at 4:30 p.m., in the Mahaney Center for the Arts, Room 221. Free
Play Reading: Death and the King’s Horseman
(See the Theatre page for full information on this event.)
Sunday, December 2, at 2 p.m., in the Mahaney Center for the Arts, Dance Theatre. Free