Fall 2009 - TBD
Mint Museum of Art
Sande Society Mask (Bundu) 20th Century
Sierre Leone. Mende Peoples
Wood, raffia
Gift of Phillip M. Abrams. 1975.25.1
Powerful, raw, exciting, and dynamic, African art is inherently rich in cultural and spiritual significance. The human form is favored, as are themes of nature, birth, death, power and prestige. Twentieth century Avant –Garde artists, such as Modigliani, Matisse, and most famously, Picasso were heavily influenced and inspired by African art.
The works on display in the Crosland Gallery range from the 11th to the 20th centuries and utilize such materials as leather, cowrie shell, wood, beads, and cloth. A collection of Kuba cloths on display are on loan from local designer and collector Wesley Mancini. These embroidered raffia cloths demonstrate extraordinary technical mastery and were fashioned into ceremonial shirts and skirts. African Art in the Crosland Gallery showcases various mediums, including: masks, sculpture, pottery, and textiles.
Learn more about the important thematic elements of African art via this online exhibit from the Indianapolis Museum of Art: Cycles: African Art Through Life
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Created by Shannon Barringer, intern for The Mint Museum Library