MoAW presents
FACES OF AFRICA
A Mystical View of Tribal Heritage
New Member Benefit
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FACES OF AFRICA
A Mystical View of Tribal Heritage
Faithfully recreated by award-winning artist Richard W. Jones (deceased), this critically acclaimed collection of 38 authentic reproductions of ancient masks, murals, and sculptures celebrates 3,500 years of African tribal art and traditions.
From ancient Nok heads to the spectacular masks of Dogon dances and contemporary South African murals, the popular Faces of Africa is an intimate and mystical view of African tribal heritage.
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The death of an elderly individual is like the burning of a library. — Ivorian proverb |
Celebrating the tradition of ritual and ceremony for more than 3,500 years, the mask is a sacred and revered object, honored and beloved in addition to being a feared and dangerous entity. For the people of Africa, tribal masks and sculptures represent the invisible force assigned to it, which may be the spirit of a wise ancestor, a tutelary deity, or any embodiment of supernatural power from the animal kingdom. Whoever wears a mask combines and unites their strength to the spirit associated with it, enhancing value and heightening power, creating a mystical empyreal bond between the past and present, the sacred living and the honored dead. |
Bafo Tribal Mask, Cameroon
Settling along the Atlantic coast during the Neolithic Era in present-day Cameroon, “Africa in miniature,” the longest continuous population of inhabitants were tribes such as the Baka, Bamileke, Bamoun, Bassa, Douala, Ewondo, Bafo, and Bulu, popularly known as the Pygmies, to mention a few out of the more than 250 ethnicities residing in geological and cultural diversity.
Living by the sea in the lush tropical rain forests gave rise to music and dance, fundamental elements associated with ceremonies, festivals, and traditional storytelling. A chorus of singers echoes the soloist while dancers wear bells and play an array of percussive instruments, flutes, horns, whistles, harp, and xylophones.
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Wearing a double crown of blue beads, solar rays emitting from the lower jaw, and a veil of netting, this spirit of the sea takes an oath to indulge the fishermen with a generous yield and a safeguarded return to shore. |
Ziba Tribal Mask,
Northern Tanzania
Originally from the land known today as the Republic of Uganda, where Swahili and English are employed as official languages, the Ziba, before the turn of the 17th Century, were organized into small, but highly centralized kingdoms, each presided over by a king.
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Believing that the souls of the noble dead inhabit the diverse wildlife in the region, Ziba masks incorporate teeth, fur, claws, and bone fragments to unite the natural and spiritual world in worshiping those who came before them. |
Ibibio Tribal Mask, Nigeria
Skilled in mask-making, the Ibibio tribes created secret societies to sacredly house and administer their use in rituals to commemorate the deceased. These societies impact political, legislative, judiciary, and religious doctrine in the village. Representing the unhappy, tortured spirit of an ancestor left to aimlessly wander, this mask inspires dread, fear, and vexation for a life not well lived and for which paradise will remain eternally elusive.
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MoAW's mission is to educate a diverse audience about the history of ancient civilizations and prehistoric life using fossils and artifacts from a variety of cultures and time periods; to enhance universal curriculum development for local and surrounding school districts, colleges, and universities while establishing museum diversity for the Coachella Valley.
Hours of Operation:
Monday - Saturday
10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Sunday 12:00 noon to 5:00 p.m.
The last admission is taken one hour before closing.
Admission:
$15.00 Adults
$12.00 Students, Seniors, & Military
$ 3.00 Discount available for Coachella Valley Residents
A 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, MoAW is a member of the North American Reciprocal Museum (NARM) Association, the American Alliance of Museums, and the California Association of Museums.
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Coming Attraction
March through September 2022
the Museum of Ancient Wonders
presents
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VESSELS OF THE GODS
Treasures of the Ancient Greeks
1650 to 410 B.C.E
Reflecting the brilliance of a millennium of ancient Aegean culture, four distinct periods produced the designs of these vases: Minoan, Mycenaean, Corinthian, and Attic. Essentially consisting of silhouetted figures drawn against a background of red, black, or white, this art form gradually dies out after the Persian wars, c. 475-450 B.C.E. Shaped and painted by hand, these exquisite reproductions were created in Greece by master artists from the originals housed in The National Museum, Athens, The Heraklion Museum, The Thera Museum, The Corinth Museum, The Delphi Museum, The Louvre Museum, The Vatican Museum, and The Museo Civico, Brescia.
Please, feel free to preview this collection on MoAW's website: www.moaw.org
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Next Week:
Do you have a favorite piece at MoAW you would like to see highlighted in our weekly email? You can visit www.moaw.org, see the collections tab, visit the catalogs, and view Spotlights From The Past.
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Members Perks
So many reasons to join MoAW, you help keep the museum open, allow us to acquire new treasured artifacts and fossil displays, plan and present programs, to help local students learn about ancient civilizations and prehistoric life.
The newest perk of membership: Free admission to over 1,200 museums nationwide through the North American Reciprocal Museum Program (NARM) Plus, discounts at their museum shops and restaurants (if given to their members). Local museums include the Palm Springs Art Museum and Cabot's Pueblo Museum, several museums in Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, throughout California, all 50 states, and the District of Columbia, plus Canada, Mexico, and Bermuda. This is available to all members at the Donor Level or higher. Current members who qualify will be receiving new membership cards with the NARM logo to be used at participating museums.
Current members who would like to upgrade their membership to take advantage of this new benefit please give us a call, (442) 268-5004.
Click below for more information and to join.
THANK YOU
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ON DISPLAY EXCLUSIVELY
AT THE
MUSEUM OF ANCIENT WONDERS
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FACES OF AFRICA:
A Mystical View of
Tribal Heritage
(38 Replica Masks and Sculptures)
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TUTANKHAMUN:
"Wonderful Things"
Treasures From The Pharaoh's Tomb
(124 Egyptian replicas)
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MESOZOICA:
The Age of Dinosaurs
(Approximately 100 fossil-cast dinosaur elements and fully-mounted skeletons from around the world.)
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LUCY:
The Story of Human Origins
(Courtesy of the Institute of Human Origins and the National Museum of Ethiopia, Addis Ababa)
On view exclusively at the
Museum of Ancient Wonders
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