We went to the Denver Art Museum.   Our Art Museum has so much stuff.   We have a membership here, so we can go for just a short time and then do other things mom needs to do.   We, Zeb the Duck and Soapy Smith Duck, want to show you some of what we saw in the African Art exhibit.

This exhibit is on the 4^th floor of the Denver Art Museum’s Hamilton Building.

This mask of wood, paint and metal is from the Nafana Culture of the Ivory Coast and Ghana.

Once a year dancers wear these giant masks, representing Bedu, an animal spirit that lives in the wilderness. They perform acrobatic dances, model ideal conduct and chide villagers who have misbehaved during the year. These masks feature large round faces and geometric patterns.   This harp is from Ethiopia; the drum is from the Senufo culture of the Ivory Coast.

The ceramic pot represents the Mandingo culture of Mali.   The intricate wooden door panels

are from the Yoruba culture of Nigeria.    This mask

represents the Farig culture of Gabon.   This Housepost was carved by Olowe, the most important artist for the royal court in the late 1920s.

The housepost comes from the Yoruba culture in Nigeria.   Olowe’s energetic forms create the illusion of movement.  This housepost, a warrior on horseback, supported by several women, highlights the complementary relationship between ordinary people and those in power.   Here is a Spiritual Messenger,

created by Francis Nnaggenda, a native of Uganda.  We think the African Art exhibit is great!  And there is more to see.

These figures

are from Yoruba culture of Nigeria.   The Democratic Republic of the Congo

is represented by this mask.   The wood and bone pipe is also from the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

There is much to see at the Art Museum’s African Art display, but we will end with Moyo Ogundipe’s Life’s Fragile Fictions, representative of Nigeria’s Yoruba culture.

We hope you visit the Denver Art Museum or an art museum near you soon.