Treasures 2008 showcases sculpture made of ivory-a material highly valued universally. These artworks, dating from between the 15th and 20th centuries, range from small personal objects (containers, jewelry) to large public objects (carved tusks, staffs).

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. Works from private collections compose nearly 75 percent of the exhibition (many works from the museum's collection are gifts from individuals).

Throughout his career Ghanaian artist El Anatsui has experimented with a variety of media, including wood, ceramics and paint. Most recently, he has focused upon discarded metal objects, hundreds or even thousands of which are joined together to create truly remarkable works of art. Anatsui indicates that the word gawu (derived from Ewe, his native language) has several potential meanings, including "metal" and "a fashioned cloak." The term therefore manages to encapsulate the medium, process and format of the works on view, reflecting the artist's transformation of discarded materials into objects of striking beauty and originality.

While the artist addresses global ideas about the environment, consumerism and the social history and memory of the "stuff" of our lives, his use of recycled materials also recognizes that human creativity and ingenuity are employed in creating something from available resources, including items that are discarded. The artist's "cloth" works also celebrate the woven and stamped textile traditions that remain vibrant in Ghana and Nigeria today.

More than 80 superb artworks from one of the world's finest and most respected collections of African art are on view at the Smithsonian's National Museum of African Art.

Donated to the museum in 2005, the Walt Disney-Tishman collection is known for its unique and rare works of traditional African art from throughout sub-Saharan Africa. The collection has been instrumental in defining the field of African art history in the United States and abroad.

The artist's most recent projects use the coastal landscapes of southern Africa and Brazil to explore concepts of rift, synchronicity and transcendence--concepts she infuses with deep spiritual meaning.

The beauty and richness of Africa's pottery resonates through the traditional and modern ceramic works of art collected by the National Museum of African Art. Examples of the museum´s contemporary and tradional ceramic works from different regions of the continent are on view throughout the museum.

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