Ritual artifacts.See the Music, Hear the Dance: Rethinking African Art at the Baltimore Museum of Art The Baltimore Museum of Art in Baltimore, Maryland, was founded in 1914. It is located between the Charles Village and Remington neighborhoods, immediately adjacent to the Homewood campus of Johns Hopkins University, though the museum is an independent institution not affiliated by Frederick John Lamp, Prestel, March 2004 $79.00, ISBN ISBN abbr. International Standard Book Number ISBN International Standard Book Number ISBN n abbr (= International Standard Book Number) → ISBN m 3-791-33036-5 In 1936, the Baltimore Museum of Art (BMA BMA British Medical Association. ) displayed, with works from the Museum of Modern Art, one of this country's earliest showcases of African artifacts artifacts see specimen artifacts. . It was one of the first exhibits of its kind hosted by a major museum. In 1947, the BMA offered An Exhibition of African Art, a small collection of ancient Egyptian objects, which included textiles and tools--some of the first pieces of African art from below the Sahara. That exhibit, too, also marked one of the earliest collections of artwork from Africa to be established and presented in the United States. Over the years, the African art compilation at the BMA has expanded immensely, and it now counts more than 2,000 objects in its internationally known collection. And in celebration of its 90th anniversary, the museum pays tribute to those early works with a catalogue that highlights its treasures. Frederick John Lamp, now at the Yale University Art Gallery The Yale University Art Gallery houses a significant and encyclopedic collection of art in several buildings on the campus of Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut. Although it embraces all cultures and periods, the Gallery possesses especially renowned collections of early , was curator of African art in Baltimore for 21 years. In See the Music, Hear the Dance, he has culled objects--ceramics, masks, sculptures and textiles that relate specifically to tribal ritual and ceremony. Featuring more than 100 objects, the book is filled with photographs, a fare share of them archival, and accompanying essays that put the artworks in their native context. The reader, of in this case spectator, is allowed to see just how the object played a role in elevating the senses and enlivening en·liv·en tr.v. en·liv·ened, en·liv·en·ing, en·liv·ens To make lively or spirited; animate. en·liv  en·er n. the spirit of the people, be it in performing a war dance, for hunting, or a celebrating a marriage. The complementary essays for the images are written with sedulous sed·u·lous adj. Persevering and constant in effort or application; assiduous. See Synonyms at busy. [From Latin s description. Like other published works on African art that define the connection between the art object and its use, this book offers valuable information. But the fact that the artifacts hail from one of the richest collections makes the book more impressive. Clarence V. Reynolds |
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