oh Wow I'm sorry, I am extremely late on posting and soo much has happened. It also doesn't help that my internet WASN't working for the most of last week. So picking up from the week before last, which was Thursday. The highlight of this day was going to the National Museum of African art. It is off the Smithsonian Metro Stop. The National Museum of African Art "fosters the discovery and appreciation of the visual arts of Africa, the cradle of humanity." It was established as a private museum in 1964, and officially became a part of the Smithsonian Institution in August 1979.

*Most of the museums are FREE!!! how sick is that? In Atlanta, you are always paying, unless you donate the big bucks maybe.*

This is what it looks like on the outside.



The inside is nicer, I think. The main collection that we saw was the Disney-Tishman collection, a collection bought out from the Tishmans, who had collected a huge amount of African art with his wife. Although I'm sure we all know who really collected the art. ;.) It was very interesting to me, as I had never really been in a museum that specifically focuses on African art. I managed to take some pictures of the items on display, but since there was already a ridiculous amount of light and glass, I had to not use flash. As a result, they are yellow tinted and slightly blurry. But then again, I only had a digital camera, not one of those pro ones. Alane, have you any tips for taking pictures in a museum?



internet version


This horn is interesting because it is an example of African art mixed with European art. It was made by the Bullom or Temne peoples of Sierra Leone in the late 15th century. When the Portuguese arrived in Africa, they wanted to bring gifts back to their sponsors, who were usually rich and had aristocratic taste in art. They couldn't really bring back a local piece of art, especially when the masters, like da Vinci, were in vogue. So they commissioned African artists to make this piece using European designs and this is the result. The design is pretty intricate. Looking at it, you can see both African and European influences.



These are some earrings, which I thought was cool. They remind me of the art of the San Blas people with all their beadwork.
They had a more children-geared exhibit, which I thought was cool because it was art depicting animals, mostly carvings/statues.


(Sorry that its blurry!) This one looks like some a crocodile with those sharp teeth, yes? But then taken from another angle...

Its some kind of sheep/mountain goat. Who knew they had such sharp teeth? I like the horns too. It doesn't say what animal this is but it does say that it was made by the Ejagham peoples of Nigeria.

COW!

Here's a better picture.

This one is my favorite. It is a Cow! Who doesn't like cows, especially with their pink tongues? Also cows are extremely important, as they play a larger role than just being cattle. "The west African buffalo or bush cow is a wild animal, powerful and possibly dangerous. Carvings of this animal into large community-owned slit gongs that can sound alerts and gather men armed to fight indicate the buffalo's power can be harnessed for the good of the community. The buffalo is often a symbol of a ruler or his enforcers." See, I knew cows were cool.

This is a picture of the Smithsonian Castle, which was right next door. We did not go see it but I thought it was worth adding. It currently houses all the administrative offices of the Smithsonian but before, it used to be the home of the curator of the Smithsonian, correct me if I am wrong.

Needless to say, the rest of the day was boring in comparison.