 – Closing on January 15, 2023, “Peace, Power and Prestige: Metal Arts in Africa” at the Figge Art Museum is an exhibition that explores the roles of…){kind=link}
DAVENPORT, IA (PNAN) – Closing on January 15, 2023, “Peace, Power and Prestige: Metal Arts in Africa” at the Figge Art Museum is an exhibition that explores the roles of metal objects in sustaining and enhancing life in African communities, while demonstrating the aesthetic and expressive power of metal arts.
For millennia, African metalsmiths have drawn upon the inherent power and beauty of metal to create objects including jewelry, weaponry, regalia, and sacred ceremonial objects. With over 140 pieces, the exhibition includes a diverse range of iron, brass, bronze, gold, copper, silver and alloyed works created by artists in Sub‐Saharan Africa between the 12th and 21st centuries.
The selected objects are from the Harn Museum of Art collection and private collections, most notably the Drs. John and Nicole Dintenfass collection. Highlights in the exhibition include: • Iron staffs and figures of the Mande smiths of Mali. • Bronze and iron chiefly regalia from the Edo people of Nigeria. • Brass and iron ceremonial swords, brass adorned stools and goldweights, and personal adornment signifying prestige and leadership for the Akan people of Ghana. • Brass and copper reliquary guardian figure of the Kota of Gabon. • Cuprous currencies, ceremonial staffs and weaponry from Congo. • Iron and bronze shrine objects of the Dogon people of Mali. • Objects adorned with fine wirework from South Africa. • Ogboni society brass staffs, figures, and iron divination and healing staffs from the Yoruba people of Nigeria. • Ethiopian Christian Orthodox crosses. • Somali bridal silver jewelry. • Copper alloy sacred objects of Tusian, Gan and Lobi peoples of Burkina Faso.
For more exhibits on view, see https://figgeartmuseum.org/art/exhibitions.