Yale University Art Gallery

For my first visit I chose the Yale Art Gallery, because it is local and easy to get to with my infant daughter. This was her first trip to an art gallery. And my first time visiting in this building, the last time I went it was on the other side. I was awed by the handicap elevator/lift, it was so cool the way it worked. Okay enough about the unimportant stuff. Just a brief historical blurb on YUAG. It was founded in 1832 andthe oldest college art gallery in the United States. The gallery holds more than 100,000 pieces ranging in date from ancient times to present day. There are many permanent collections in the gallery including, but not limited to African art, Asian Art, Modern and Contemporary art and European art.

During my visit I found myself drawn to the African art collection. I have visited Africa and I really loved the different sculptures and tribal pieces that I saw while I was there. The specific form of African art that I chose to focus on this visit are the Masks. I took a African art course here at Albertus and had the opportunity to make my own mask out of clay and it looked nothing like the Masks that I saw in the gallery.

The ones that I liked the most are pictured throughout this post. In researching the masks I saw in the gallery, I learned that there are different tribes that live in the various African countries and each tribe has its own distinct form of mask making. Masks are used for many different reasons, ranging from funerals,circumcisions, marriage, birth and various other events that occur throughout one's life.
The mask to the left is a Mbuya mask from the Pende tribe which is found in Congo. It is made out of wood and fiber, and is 15 inches high. It dates back to the late 19th - early 20th century. Mbuya masks depict a wide range of characters, including the sorcerer, the chief, the clown, and various types of women. Mbuya masks play a major role in male initiation into manhood. This mask would have typically been danced (worn) by a young man after the completion of ritual circumcisions and initiation training. In looking at this piece, I love the details. It is the most realistic looking of all the masks that I saw in the collection. The hair looks as though it could real human hair. It has distinct feminine characteristics and seems as though it is a person asleep that will awake at any moment.

The piece below is quite large, about 77in. high. It is a Kpakologi Male mask with headdress made out of wood, feathers, textile, hide, cloth, fiber, pigment and metal. These types of masks are typically worn by the Loma or Kpelle tribes that can be found in Liberia and Guinea.

The piece to the right reminded me of Medusa.

Unfortunately in my excitement to get the picture,

I failed to write down specifics about the piece.

The final piece I would like to discuss caught my eye as I was about to leave the African art collection.
This piece is described as an animal figure mask from the Yaka tribe that is found in both Angola and Congo. This mask is made of wood and pigment. In doing research I found that the African term for such masks is nkisi. The nkisi masks traditionally have a long, exaggerated upward-hooked nose and an open mouth. This is a strange but common detail, and there is no decisive explanation for this nose. One source supposes that it is an allusion to the elephant's trunk. The handle under the chin was held by the dancer. I thought this piece was very detailed, from the shape of the ears and trunk, to the entricate markings of the teeth. I love the use of pigment in this piece, it is what really makes it stand out.

I truly enjoyed my visit and so did my daughter, she looked around from her stroller at the various displays and let out a few coos here and there. I look forward to our next museum adventure.