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December 9, 2022
MoAW
presents
ALL UNDER HEAVEN
Earth, Heaven, and the Afterlife
A very special gift from
Heather James Fine Art, Palm Desert
Atonement and Punishment
in a Chinese Court of Hell
Sumatran Funerary Mask
and the Ancient Spirit Vessels of Thailand
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Photographs: Dean Keefer
Daoist Folk Judgment Court
China, c. 1825
Ink and pigment on silk
Diyu, or “earth prison,” is the realm of the dead or hell in Chinese mythology. It is loosely based on a combination of the Buddhist concept of Naraka, traditional Chinese beliefs about the afterlife, and a variety of popular expansions and reinterpretations of these two traditions.
Diyu is typically depicted as a subterranean maze with various levels and chambers, to which souls are taken after death to atone for the sins they committed when they were alive. The exact number of levels in Diyu and their associated deities differ between Buddhist and Taoist interpretations. Some speak of three to four “courts”; others mention “Ten Courts of Hell,” each of which is ruled by a judge (collectively known as the Ten Yama Kings); other Chinese legends speak of the “Eighteen Levels of Hell”. Each court deals with a different aspect of atonement and different punishments; most legends claim that sinners are subjected to gruesome tortures until their “deaths,” after which they are restored to their original state for the torture to be repeated.
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Helmet Mask
Sumatra
Batak People
Wood
This large mask was fashioned from a single piece of wood, depicted with mouth open, large eyes, sharply defined cheeks and large ears, in a helmet form where the mask covers the entire head. This is used in the “patortorhon ugas ni tondi,” or mens’ funerary dance. Located in the mountainous highland of northern Sumatra, the Batak are one of the largest indigenous groups in Indonesia. The Batak are divided into six groups, the Toba, Pak Pak/Dairi, Karo, Angkola, Mandailing, and Simalungun, with an estimated total population of 3 million living today.
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Painted Pottery
Thailand, Circa 1000 BCE
Ban Chiang Culture
Pottery (Orange and White)
The prehistoric site of Ban Chiang in northeast Thailand, first excavated in 1967, brought to light one of the earliest Bronze Age cultures in Southeast Asia. Archaeological remains from different levels in the soil indicate that the site has been inhabited for thousands of years.
Ban Chiang is best known for red-on-buff painted pottery vessels, which were found only in the uppermost (least ancient) layers of soil. Lower layers revealed a great variety of equally distinctive pottery. The oldest are probably the black or dark gray burnished and incised pieces. In burials, more than twenty types of vessels of various sizes were placed on top of the skeletons, below the legs, or above the head. In some rituals, the vessels were intentionally broken over the graves of the deceased to guarantee the release of their spirits into the afterlife; in others they had been left intact. Artifacts uncovered from burial sites suggest a highly developed metal industry. Both male and female adult skeletons were adorned with bronze and iron jewelry such as bracelets and anklets.
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CURRENT EXHIBTIONS ON DISPLAY | |
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ALL UNDER HEAVEN
Earth, Heaven,
and the Afterlife
A Very Special Gift From
Marlene and Bruce Kanter,
Heather James Fine Art
Tim Walsh
Michael H. Healy
Tianxia (天下) or, All Under Heaven, is the ideal of a perfect and harmonious empire in the eyes of the people.
50 original antiquities spanning millennia (3,600 B.C.E. to 1920s C.E.) of ancient Asian cultures, from mysterious funerary objects and life-size protective temple guardians, to delicate terracotta sculptures created for the tombs of the deceased. A tapestry of silk and gold thread, a rare lacquered cosmetic box, earthen vessels, and bronze statues, these ancient treasures from China, Japan, and Southeast Asia, celebrate everlasting happiness, remembrance, and eternal life.
This grand collection of 50 Asian antiquities is divided into three sections: Earthly possessions, objects used by the living, the temple icons of Buddha and Shiva (Heaven), and funerary goods, objects found in the tombs of the elite (the Afterlife). Representing China, Japan, and Southeast Asia, MoAW premieres these dazzling artifacts for the first time together in one exhibition All Under Heaven: Earth, Heaven, and the Afterlife.
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PALEO: The Story of Life
4.6 billion years of fossil history
Drawn from the world’s foremost fossil collections, the unprecedented treasury of fossil casts known as PALEO: The Story of Life brings together in one exhibition some of the most exciting finds in the history of paleontology from over a century of worldwide excavations, exhibited in geological, chronological order.
From 2.5 billion-year-old single cellular cyanobacteria responsible for the oxygenation of the atmosphere to the first multicellular life of 700 million years ago, PALEO: The Story of Life spans 4.6 billion years in scope. From the Precambrian to the Paleozoic Era, from the Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous Periods of the Mesozoic Era to mammals and prehistoric humans of the Cenozoic Era (including the famous Lucy skeleton), this internationally acclaimed, comprehensive collection dramatically illustrates the awesome story of prehistoric life on Earth.
Displaying casts of rare fossils from the Americas, Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australia, this prestigious collection includes skeletons, skulls, claws, and eggs gathered from such revered museums as the Smithsonian Institution, the American Museum of Natural History, The Royal Ontario Museum, the Carnegie Museum, and the National Museums of Kenya, Ethiopia, and Tanzania, as well as many others.
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THE CRAB NEBULA (M1) IN TAURUS.
Photographed with the 26-inch Crossley Reflector at Lick Observatory. Copyright Regents, University of California. Lick Observatory photograph.
STARSCAPE:
A Journey To The
Beginning of Time
This spectacular collection of 33 space photographs combines breathtaking digitalized images from the historic Mariner, Viking, and Voyager probes with stunning photographs from the Apollo lunar missions, the Hubble Space Telescope, and ground-based observatories. Gathered from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, the California Institute of Technology, the Royal Observatory, Edinburgh, and the Hansen Planetarium, this awesome display of cosmic spectacles is a journey to the early days of the cosmos.
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photo: Steven Salisbury
LUCY:
(Australopithecus afarensis)
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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JURASSIC WONDERS
11 Lifesize Metal Dinosaurs
Public Art Display
created by
Ricardo Breceda
MoAW presents JURASSIC WONDERS, a public art installation in collaboration with Cathedral City, displaying 11 lifesize Dinosaurs created by renowned artist Ricardo Breceda. Divided into 4 stunning dioramas on the corner of Buddy Rogers Drive and East Palm Canyon Drive across the street from City Hall, this magnificent exhibition will be on view until December 31, 2022.
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TUTANKHAMUN
"Wonderful Things"
Treasures From The Pharaoh's Tomb
2022 marks the 100th anniversary of the discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb by Howard Carter and Lord Carnarvon. To share in the commemoration, MoAW's "Wonderful Things" exhibition is on a nationwide tour. Click on the link below to see the installation on the banks of the Sacramento River at Turtle Bay Exploration Park in Redding CA.
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FREE WEEKEND ADMISSION TO ALL
COACHELLA VALLEY RESIDENTS
Museum of Ancient Wonders Offers Free Admission on Saturdays and Sundays
to All Residents in Association with Nine Coachella Valley Municipalities
Beginning September 3, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Saturdays and from 12:00 noon to 4:00 p.m. on Sundays, local families are invited to visit MoAW at no charge. This generous offer will end on December 31, 2022.
Free admission will require all attending residents to produce identification that lists a local address, signing of the registry, and fill out a brief survey identifying at least one object in the museum’s collection that inspired them to want to learn more about the subject.
For further information visit: www.MoAW.org or call (442) 268-5004.
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Become A Member of MoAW
THE PERFECT GIFT FOR THE HOLIDAY SEASON
The newest perk of membership: Free admission to more than 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, and San Francisco, throughout California, all 50 states, and the District of Columbia, including Canada, Mexico, and Bermuda. This is available to all members at the Donor Level ($125.00) or higher. 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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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, 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
$10.00 Group Rate for 10 or more individuals.
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. Contributions are tax-deductible and gratefully accepted.
MoAW IS SPONSORED WITH FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTIONS
BY THE FOLLOWING:
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Alberto Acosta, Executive Director & Chief Curator
Joseph McCabe, CFO & Director of Development
DEW FOUNDATION
By contributing financial support, DEW Foundation joins hands with effective charitable organizations to meet human needs and promote the common good worldwide, encouraging and empowering our family’s personal involvement.
Art Laboe Foundation, Inc.
A beloved resident of Palm Springs, Art Laboe was an American disc jockey, songwriter, record producer, and radio station owner. He was generally credited with coining the term "Oldies but Goodies".
Harold & Arlene Schnitzer CARE Foundation
The mission of the Harold & Arlene Schnitzer CARE Foundation
is to support Arts & Culture, Youth, Educational, Medical and,
Social Servies, and Community activities that enhance the quality of life.
Municipalities & Societies
Cathedral City Historical Society
Council Members Raymond Gregory &
Nancy Ross, Cathedral City
City of Rancho Mirage
Members and Patrons
THANK YOU
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