Ancestors, goddesses and heroes [Book] : sculptures from Asia, Africa and Europe / authors, Bernadette Brs̲kamp [and ten others] ; translation from German into English, Bronwen Saunders.
Format:
[Book] :
Publisher:
Deutscher Kunstverlag,
Copyright Date:
2023
Description:
96 pages : illustrations (chiefly color), facsimile ; 27 cm.
Published in connection with the exhibition at the Humboldt Forum Berlin, 2022-2023. Includes bibliographical references.
Contents:
What is provenance? : On the origin of the exhibited objects -- What does protection mean here? -- How to keep evil forces in check? -- Are they all real? -- Can words describe things? -- Which image serves as a model? -- What can a face tell us? -- Are all heroes alike?.
Summary:
"Protecting, healing, or punishing--people of various eras and origins have attributed such powers to the sculptures that are being presented together here for the first time: be it the sculpture of the Mangaaka from what is today the Republic of Congo, the protective goddess Mahamayuri from China, or the Maria on the globe from Southern Germany. Forty-five objects created between the fourth and the nineteenth century from two museums in Berlin provide a vivid testimony to the ever-present need for protection and orientation when dealing with individual or social crises. They represent the existence of an invisible world of gods, spirits, or ancestors, and create a connection between this world and a "different reality." As a result of how they are presented in museums, their context of use is, however, often lost--a situation that is reflected on by the authors of this book."
This resource is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by State Library of Iowa.