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Treasures 2008 highlights the extraordinary creativity of African artists and what the original owners or caretakers in Africa deemed worthwhile. The exhibition also reveals the "tastes" of collectors in the United States, 13 of whom are represented in the show. (Many works from the museum's collection are gifts from individuals.)
Some ivories were commissioned by Africans who had high social and/or spiritual status (e.g., kings, queen mothers, priests, elders). Others were commissioned by Europeans who wanted objects that functioned like souvenirs. The most famous of these are the "Afro-Portuguese" ivories, which refute the popular notion that the best African art is that untarnished by European influence or contact. ("Afro-Portuguese" ivories are also displayed across the mezzanine in African Vision: The Walt Disney-Tishman African Art Collection).
The ivory sculptures displayed in Treasures 2008 differentiate "us" from "them"-the indigenous African from the colonialist, the African from outside the culture, the commoner from royalty, the wealthy from the poor. They may denote the original owner's gender and age too.
We want you to venture on a personal journey of aesthetic discovery, to see uniqueness and the visually superlative. Our hope is that your desire to understand Africa is stimulated-that you arrive at an appreciation of African art that enables you to see the relevance of art in their lives and, by extension, our lives.
The exhibition was organized by Director Sharon F. Patton and Curator Bryna M. Freyer.
