Face mask embroidered extensively wtih glass beads. Two long panels hang down the front and back of the wearer. Humanoid face at top has two round eye holes allowing the wearer to see, a strip of fabric for nose and open, upturned mouth. Ears are protruding disks attached on either side of the face . Top of the head is covered with small, corklike knobs covered with black cloth. The beadwork is predominantly green, with intricate, scallop-shaped patterns along edge of panels, and vertical, star-like patterns filling center of the panels. Interior of panels is lined with damask.
Subject Matter
Stylized images of the elephant abound in the pageantry that surrounded Bamileke kings and men of distinction. The elephant masquerade was danced by members of powerful men’s regulatory societies that oversaw the ritual and judicial affairs of the kingdom. Performed at royal festivals and funerals, these masks honored the authority of leadership and the transcendental forces of the forest.
Label Copy
March 28, 2009
Stylized images of the elephant abound in the pageantry surrounding Bamileke kings and other high-ranking men. Among the most dramatic was the elephant masquerade, which featured masks lavishly embroidered with imported glass beads. Loping like elephants to the accompaniment of drums and gongs, dancers paraded around the palace marketplace, carrying flywhisks and wearing their distinctive regalia.
This mask, with its untraditional green color scheme and imported damask lining, was probably made for the market. However, in African eyes, innovative, market-driven production need not compromise an object’s value or authenticity. Indeed, this mask could have been sold to Bamileke buyers for use in performance.
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please fax a request to the attention of Orian Neumann, Assistant Registrar, at 734-474-7643. For other queries, email orian@umich.edu.edu.
Face mask embroidered extensively wtih glass beads. Two long panels hang down the front and back of the wearer. Humanoid face at top has two round eye holes allowing the wearer to see, a strip of fabric for nose and open, upturned mouth. Ears are protruding disks attached on either side of the face . Top of the head is covered with small, corklike knobs covered with black cloth. The beadwork is predominantly green, with intricate, scallop-shaped patterns along edge of panels, and vertical, star-like patterns filling center of the panels. Interior of panels is lined with damask.
Subject Matter
Stylized images of the elephant abound in the pageantry that surrounded Bamileke kings and men of distinction. The elephant masquerade was danced by members of powerful men’s regulatory societies that oversaw the ritual and judicial affairs of the kingdom. Performed at royal festivals and funerals, these masks honored the authority of leadership and the transcendental forces of the forest.
Label Copy
March 28, 2009
Stylized images of the elephant abound in the pageantry surrounding Bamileke kings and other high-ranking men. Among the most dramatic was the elephant masquerade, which featured masks lavishly embroidered with imported glass beads. Loping like elephants to the accompaniment of drums and gongs, dancers paraded around the palace marketplace, carrying flywhisks and wearing their distinctive regalia.
This mask, with its untraditional green color scheme and imported damask lining, was probably made for the market. However, in African eyes, innovative, market-driven production need not compromise an object’s value or authenticity. Indeed, this mask could have been sold to Bamileke buyers for use in performance.
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please fax a request to the attention of Orian Neumann, Assistant Registrar, at 734-474-7643. For other queries, email orian@umich.edu.edu.
Ewer decorated floral scrolls in fine blue-and-white and a slim handle. The original spout broke off and a silver replacement and lid are later additions.
Subject Matter
The shape of this ewer looks back to metalwork models of the Sassanian Empire (based in modern Iran) that were first imported to China in the seventh century. The floral scrolls have their origin in ancient West Asian art, as seen on architecture and carpet.
Label Copy
The shape of this ewer looks back to metalwork models of the Sassanian Empire (based in modern Iran) that were first imported to China in the seventh century; even the floral scrolls have their origin in ancient West Asian art. The ceramic technique, however, was the very latest vogue at the Ming court: at the beginning of the fifteenth century, the potters of Jingdezhen had only recently mastered underglaze painting in cobalt blue. Such wares were made by imperial order and used as diplomatic gifts for rulers of Islamic states in Southeast Asia and the Persian Gulf. The silver spout and lid are later additions.
Since the time of Marco Polo, the center of Chinese porcelain production has been Jingdezhen, Jiangxi province, an area blessed with large deposits of the hard kaolin clay that is essential for porcelain. The kilns came into prominence during the Yuan period (1279-1368), when both the production of pure white porcelain and porcelain with underglaze cobalt blue decoration were mastered. The succeeding Ming period (1368-1644) continued and expanded this tradition, as seem in this magnificent ewer that once belonged in the collection of the distinguished ceramic scholar, John A. Pope, who catalogued the world-famous collection of Chinese blue-and-white porcelain at the Ardebil Shrine in Iran.
The bright blue was derived from cobalt ore imported from Persia and a ewer of this shape, which recalls Sassanian (Persian) metalwork prototypes, would have been made for an Islamic ruler and sent abroad with Admiral Zheng He (1371-1433), who sailed a Chinese fleet to the Middle East from 1421 to 1423 on behalf of the Yongle emperor (r.1403-1424).The floral scrolls across the neck and body of the vessel, consisting of posies of different blooms, also have origins in ancient West Asian art. The silver spout and lid are later European repairs.
(Label for UMMA Chinese Gallery Opening Rotation, March 2009)
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please fax a request to the attention of Orian Neumann, Assistant Registrar, at 734-474-7643. For other queries, email orian@umich.edu.edu.
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please fax a request to the attention of Orian Neumann, Assistant Registrar, at 734-474-7643. For other queries, email orian@umich.edu.edu.
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please fax a request to the attention of Orian Neumann, Assistant Registrar, at 734-474-7643. For other queries, email orian@umich.edu.edu.
Round beaded crown with six radiating bands (predominantly green with white, metallic and blue accents) that stem from the central axis upon which the big blue-headed bird sits. Smaller birds perch at the base of the bands. Bottom rim predominantly red with white, metallic and blue accents. Spaces in between vertical bands are filled with yellow feathers or possibly synthetic material.
Subject Matter
Yoruba rulers or Obas use this type of head covering for everyday occasions. This vibrant version is a byproduct of creative cross-fertilization in between European and Yoruba royal headgear. The birds adorning the coronet are ubiquitous features of royal crowns, while the general design structure is reminiscent of bejeweled royal British crowns.
Label Copy
March 28, 2009
This coronet is a Yoruba ruler’s everyday headgear. Because a ruler’s source of political authority and identity resides in his inner, “spiritual” head, his visible head must be covered at all times.
In the nineteenth century, European seed-beads became incorporated into Yoruba regalia and broadened the range of colors used. This coronet’s design also testifies to the connection between Yorùbáland and Europe: its appearance recalls jewel-encrusted imperial crowns worn by English royalty. The contrasting colors and textural shifts on this coronet express Yoruba aesthetics of character and beauty. The combination of yellow and green represents tranquility and restraint. Thickly beaded strips radiate from a red perch upon which sits a gold-winged egret, keeper of culture and leader of all birds.
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please fax a request to the attention of Orian Neumann, Assistant Registrar, at 734-474-7643. For other queries, email orian@umich.edu.edu.
28.58 cm x 33.02 cm x 8.89 cm (11 1/4 in. x 13 in. x 3 1/2 in.)
Label Copy
The mottled pink sandstone of this fragmentary relief identifies its origins in the quarries of Sikri, a site in north central India that lies near to the major pilgrimage center of Mathura. From the first through third centuries, this region was the source of great innovation in sculpted imagery for all three of the major religions of the Indian subcontinent at that time: Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism.
The charming couple presented here are a crowned king, who holds up his right hand in a gesture of reassurance, and his consort, who is in the guise of a nature goddess, holding an auspicious pot. The pair probably represents the parents of one of the jinas, the “spiritual victors” of Jainism.
Exhibited in "Divine Encounters, Earthly Pleasures: Twenty Centuries of Indian Art," 12/12/03-2/22/04.
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please fax a request to the attention of Orian Neumann, Assistant Registrar, at 734-474-7643. For other queries, email orian@umich.edu.edu.
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please fax a request to the attention of Orian Neumann, Assistant Registrar, at 734-474-7643. For other queries, email orian@umich.edu.edu.
Beaded, veil fringed, canonical crown; seven long beaded tassles dangle from the bottom rim of the crown; entire surface area is embroidered with multi-colored seed beads; three tiers of colorful faces surround the perimeter; a series of three dimensional birds perch on top of the crown; the largest bird sits on tip and is removable.
Subject Matter
Oba’s wear royal crowns on state occasions. Its conical shape emphasizes the Yoruba ruler’s otherworldly presence on earth while subsuming his human identity. A cone—a flattened triangle—acts as a metaphorical device that takes the spirit world of above and channels it downward into the inner space of the ruler’s head. Yoruba philosophy contends that a ruler’s destiny, source or authority, and power all stem from his head. Hence, head beautification and protection are among the most important priorities in Yoruba royal arts.
Label Copy
March 28, 2009
When a Yoruba ruler, or oba, places an adénlá such as this on his head, it is a ritual act of becoming one with his ancestors and the deities. The beaded fringe is designed to protect onlookers from the supercharged spiritual intensity of the ruler’s gaze, while the penetrating eyes of the orisa and ancestors are meant to scan the world to protect the ruler’s “inner” head from external threats. The bird perched atop this adénlá represents a powerful association with elderly women whose secret knowledge can sustain or destroy a person’s potential. Obas respect the authority of these elders in order to maintain a healthy kingdom. A medicine pack stored in the crown’s inner peak is believed to contain powerful levels of àse, or life force.
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please fax a request to the attention of Orian Neumann, Assistant Registrar, at 734-474-7643. For other queries, email orian@umich.edu.edu.
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please fax a request to the attention of Orian Neumann, Assistant Registrar, at 734-474-7643. For other queries, email orian@umich.edu.edu.
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please fax a request to the attention of Orian Neumann, Assistant Registrar, at 734-474-7643. For other queries, email orian@umich.edu.edu.
Giovanni Francesco Barbieri was born in Cento, 2 (?) February, 1591 and died in Bologna, 22 December 1666. He was called "Il Guercino" ("the Squinter"), because of a disfigurement. He belonged to the Bolognese school of painting, becoming the city's leading painter in 1642, upon the death of Guido Reni. A biography by Malvasia and the account book recording payments for his commissions provide us with extensive documentation of Guercino's activity as a painter.
Guercino's career began in Cento, where he studied from 1607-1610 with the painter Benedetto Gennari the Elder. Painters from nearby centers of Bologna and Ferrara influenced his development of a Baroque style of painting characterized by dramatic lighting and composition. His first commission was for the altarpiece of All Saints in Glory (untraced), which he completed in 1613 for the church of Santo Spirito in Cento. He received the commission through the canon of San Salvatore in Bologna, Padre Antonio Mirandola, who remained a supporter throughout Guercino's career. He enjoyed success outside of Reggio-Emilia, as well, and other early patrons include Cosimo II, Grand Duke of Tuscany, and Ferdinando Gonzaga, Duke of Mantua.
In 1621 Guercino went to Rome at the command of one of his leading Bolognese patrons, Cardinal Alessandro Ludovisi, who had just been appointed Pope Gregory XV. The Pope's death in 1623 cut short Guercino's stay in Rome, but he had already completed one prominent papal commission: the Burial and reception into Heaven of St. Petronilla, painted for one of the altars of St. Peter's. He also did a ceiling decoration for the Casino Ludovisi on the Pincian Hill in Rome, still in situ, and a portrait of Pope Gregory XV. Guercino's time in Rome, while short, proved to have a profound impact on the development of his painting. Finding that the dramatic Baroque style he had practiced up to now was out of favor among Roman patrons, Guercino began to emulate the style of painters practicing a more austerely classical style, particularly Guido Reni. He continued to work in this vein after his return to Cento and up until 1642, when he moved to Bologna. This final phase in the painter's career sees no similarly dramatic changes although his preparatory drawings show a freedom and lack of inhibition that is not evident in the corresponding paintings.
Guercino never married but his sister, Lucia Barbieri, married Ercole Gennari, a member of the same family as Guercino's first teacher. His nephews, Benedetto Gennari the Younger and Cesare Gennari, later assisted Guercino in his work and, after his death, inherited his estate between them.
Sources: Thieme, Ulrich and Felix Becker, eds. Allgemeines Lexikon der Bildenden Künstler. Leipzig: Seeman, 1907-1950, vol. 15; Turner, Jane, ed. The Dictionary of Art. New York: Macmillan, 1996, vol. 13.
A seated king, at the left, holds the hand of a swooning woman who is supported by another woman. The supporting woman looks back at the king.
Subject Matter
Derived from the Old Testament story of the Jewish heroine, Esther, Guercino depicts the dramatic moment when Esther enters the king's presence unbidden and faints in distress. Although she is his queen, no one may approach the king without his permission.
The Museum of Art is fortunate to have two preparatory drawings for the Guercino painting of "Esther Before Ahasuerus" (the other is 2008/1.161). In this work, Guercino is exploring the psychological relationships between the principal figures: Ahasuerus, his queen Esther, and one of two attendants who support the queen. Between these two studies, it is possible to examine Guercino's process of arriving at his final composition. This sheet carefully explores the responses of the three figures, concentrating on the gesture of clemency as Ahasuerus reaches out to Esther with both his scepter and, in more personal concern, with his hand.
Label Copy
March 28, 2009
Guercino was a prolific draftsman whose drawings have been eagerly collected for three hundred years. UMMA is fortunate to have two preparatory drawings by Guercino made for the Museum’s painting, Esther before Ahasuerus, hanging nearby. It was common practice at the time for artists to make studies of drapery, poses, and other details as they were considering the various elements of a large or important work. Such is the case with the Museum’s painting: Guercino used drawings as a way to work through problems before he ever picked up a paintbrush.
There are numerous preparatory drawings for our painting; two here show the different ways Guercino approached the complex relationship between Esther and her husband, King Ahasuerus. The smaller drawing is, in essence, a rapid compositional exploration of the moment when Esther faints in distress as she defies the ban on approaching the king without invitation. In this drawing, her head turns away from Ahasuerus. Perhaps Guercino felt that in this pose she recoiled too strongly from the king because he changed the position of Esther’s head in the final work. The larger drawing, a more distilled examination of the principal figures, employs wash to subtly indicate their psychological state of mind. Here, Esther inclines her head toward Ahasuerus—which she does in the final painting—as the king reaches towards Esther in a gesture of both official clemency and private concern. However, in the final painting, Guercino eliminates the king’s tender motion of taking her hand; his more formal gesture of raising his scepter towards her reverts back to the pose of the smaller, and probably earlier, drawing. How carefully Guercino weighs and considers each figure’s gestures is evident in the drawings and allows viewers to step into Guercino’s creative process. They also exemplify Guercino’s superb versatility as a draftsman; the summary sweeps and loops of his reed pen in the smaller drawing, particularly evident in the lower portions of the drapery, convey agitated motion absent in the final painting, whereas the use of ink wash to denote shading and mass in the larger study indicates that Guercino was focusing on the more subtle connections between the king and queen.
The final painting moved through distinguished collections in both Italy, where it belonged to Pope Urban VIII and other members of the Barberini family, and then became part of the collection of the Dukes of Northumberland. British engraver Robert Strange traveled to Italy during the 1760s and is believed to have seen the Museum’s painting of Esther before Ahasuerus when it still resided in the Palazzo Barberini, in Rome.
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please fax a request to the attention of Orian Neumann, Assistant Registrar, at 734-474-7643. For other queries, email orian@umich.edu.edu.
Mixed media assemblage consisting of goggles, rusted sheets and pieces of metal, a padlock and two rusted bells hanging from a chain mounted on a wooden board with screws.
Subject Matter
Created when Vargas was a student at U of M, “Michigan Worker” draws on the tradition of the found object and junk art, as well as a figurative tradition, which he evokes by using industrial materials representing the working class Michigan automotive worker.
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please fax a request to the attention of Orian Neumann, Assistant Registrar, at 734-474-7643. For other queries, email orian@umich.edu.edu.
Cast ceremonial sword. The "fan" shape is indicative of the royal eben type. The general shape may be derived from northern, Sahelian influences. The looped handle is also typical of the eben type.
Subject Matter
The eben sword form is highly regular, despite being wielded by many different individuals int he Benin kingdom. The creation and distribution of eben is controlled by the oba (Benin king), andits display signifies fealty to the monarchy. The regularity of the form represents the triumph of the kingdom's political constitution over the lesser forms of social organization.
Label Copy
Benin, Nigeria; large ceremonial sword of classical form; open work blade; ring handle with ivory plaques at grip; leather and cloth bindings. [David Ackley]
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please fax a request to the attention of Orian Neumann, Assistant Registrar, at 734-474-7643. For other queries, email orian@umich.edu.edu.
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please fax a request to the attention of Orian Neumann, Assistant Registrar, at 734-474-7643. For other queries, email orian@umich.edu.edu.
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please fax a request to the attention of Orian Neumann, Assistant Registrar, at 734-474-7643. For other queries, email orian@umich.edu.edu.
Hanging scroll. A female figure is sitting against a blank background. She wears multiple layers of kimono, her hair is black and long, and her face white. She is watching a spider, descending from ceiling; her arms are extending in front as if she is trying to catch it. A screen of white and brown fabric is on her right, and an oil ramp with flame is on the other side. Three rolls of paper are placed in front of her. There are the artist's signature and seal on the left lower corner.
The painting is mounted on light blue brocade with designs of auspicious characters and objects, including character “longevity,” treasures, and double gourds. The sides are made of golden brocade, but the gold foil is almost worn out.
Warm holes on the upper right side, some small stains and dark lines on the top and near the face of the figure. Two repaired damages on the lower right corner. Some warm holes on the mounting as well. The wooden scroll bar is black lacquered.
Subject Matter
Sotôri hime (or Oto hime) was the younger sister of Ôsaka no Onakatsu hime, the wife of Inkyô tennô (412-453 CE) whom that Emperor installed in his palace. She was of peerless beauty and a poetess. She is often represented as a Court Lady, holding in her hand a shuttle, or in the act of weaving, being credited with the introduction of silk weaving into Japan. (Edmunds, Pointers and Clues to the Subjects of Chinese and Japanese Art, 1934)
Label Copy
In this intimate portrait, Princess Ito’ori smiles with anticipation, having just spotted a spider coming down from the ceiling. This curious imagery alludes to a Heian period (794–1185) belief that a woman could foretell in the dancing motions of a spider the swift approach of her lover.
Tosa Mitsuoki was a member of the Tosa family of painters, who were known for their use of vivid colors, fine details, and subject matter from the classical era. When Mitsuoki inherited his father’s position, the Tosa school had entered its decline; he revived it by incorporating the style of the Kanô school, the dominant art school in Edo-period Japan. As a result, Mitsuoki and subsequent Tosa painters were able to enjoy the patronage of the powerful samurai class.
(Label for UMMA Japanese Gallery Opening Rotation, March 2009)
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please fax a request to the attention of Orian Neumann, Assistant Registrar, at 734-474-7643. For other queries, email orian@umich.edu.edu.
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please fax a request to the attention of Orian Neumann, Assistant Registrar, at 734-474-7643. For other queries, email orian@umich.edu.edu.
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please fax a request to the attention of Orian Neumann, Assistant Registrar, at 734-474-7643. For other queries, email orian@umich.edu.edu.
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please fax a request to the attention of Orian Neumann, Assistant Registrar, at 734-474-7643. For other queries, email orian@umich.edu.edu.
Cast brass head of a human. An opening at the top would have supported a carved elephant tusk. The heads wears elaborate "winged" headgear.
Subject Matter
Commemorative heads wear used in royal shrines in the Benin kingdom. Kings were honored and cared for after death, with their shrine as the focal point of supplication. The head is particularly important in Benin spirituality, as the head holds the fate of the individual. The king's head, however, holds the fate of the whole kingdom, and so must be properly cared for.
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please fax a request to the attention of Orian Neumann, Assistant Registrar, at 734-474-7643. For other queries, email orian@umich.edu.edu.
