MoAW presents
FACES OF AFRICA
A Mystical View of Tribal Heritage
New Member Benefit
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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. 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. |
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We desire to bequeath two things to our children. The first one is roots; the other one is wings. — Sudanese proverb
FACES OF AFRICA
A Mystical View of Tribal Heritage
Faithfully recreated by award-winning artist Richard W. Jones, this critically acclaimed collection of 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 tribal heritage.
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Igbira Tribal Mask, Nigeria
Occupying East Central Nigeria for at least a thousand years, the Igbira are well known for being skilled weavers and farmers. Agrarians, the crops comprise rice, millet, cowpeas, and groundnuts. Goats, sheep, cows, and pigs are raised for local consumption. This bearded ritual mask is wrapped with a turban the color of soil and a complexion reflecting the sparkling waters of the Niger River establishing the wearer as a chieftain of the harvest festival. In his mouth, he holds millet seed gathered from the crop. Many of their ritual celebrations are held in an effort to achieve a balance between the spirits of the dead and the spirits of the living, to pay homage to their creator god, and endow the living with an abundant, successful harvest.
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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. 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.
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Dan Tribal Mask, Liberia
Migrating from the Savannahs of the Ivory Coast to the high mountain forests of Liberia, the Dan dedicated the deep, sacred forest to the spirits of their ancestors to wander contently. In order to journey the boundary between the village and the forest, a talisman made of materials from both worlds provides a token of safe passage.
Female Dan masks are identified by their oval shape, large forehead, squinting eyes of disapproval, with a half-opened mouth portraying dismay in a maternal fashion. Showing a grave and sedate expression, the mask is worn for traditional rituals designed to mediate disagreements within the community, to keep children safe from any harm or childhood diseases, correct unfair rules, dispel evil forces, and control miscreant behavior.
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Bakongo Tribal Mask, Angola
A long history of the ancient Kongo kingdom unites the Bakongo people in tradition, ceremony, and language. However, in the early fifteenth century and throughout the early nineteenth century, invasions from Portugal, British, Dutch, and French slave ships displaced 13 million persons to the New World. Inhabiting a narrow corridor south of the Congo River and along the Atlantic coast, fishing provides a livelihood for many of the Bakongo people. This mask of a seagull carrying a fish between its beaks is worn to ensure the safety of the fisherman and a fruitful harvest from the river and sea.
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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.
(last admission is taken at 5:00 p.m.)
Sunday 12:00 noon to 5:00 p.m.
(last admission is taken at 4:00 p.m.)
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 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. 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 artifacts, plan and present programs including the Second Friday Fantasy, and 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 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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