AFRICAN AND TRIBAL ARTS AND ARTIFACTS ON VIEW AT WILLIAM PATERSON UNIVERSITY

A selection of African art and artifacts, including sculpture, masks, jewelry, dress, baskets and decorated gourds will be on view in the Ben Shahn Galleries at William Paterson University in Wayne from September 15 through October 17, 2003. Gallery hours are Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is free.

The exhibit, titled "Objects of Power," is a partial selection from the nearly 700 objects donated to the University by Joan and Gordon Tobias, private collectors who frequently traveled to Africa and collected the pieces over a 30-year period.

The objects featured in the exhibit include ritual objects used in initiation rites and passages, courtship and marriage ceremonies, spirit and ancestor worship, and seasonal and harvest festivals. "The visual arts and artifacts of Africa are wide-ranging and touch every aspect of daily life," says Nancy Einreinhofer, director of the Ben Shahn Galleries. "These objects are closely tied to traditional African religious beliefs and the ceremonies that are integral to African tribal communities."

Among the items on display is a nkisi nkondi, or nail figure, from the Kongo people of Zaire. The torso of the three-foot wooden statue is covered with nails. Magic statues such as this are believed to have great power and are the property of the entire village. Villagers might ask the statue to protect the village from evil, decide the guilt or innocence of an accused criminal, settle a family argument or end a drought or famine. The statue’s power is activated by hammering a nail into the figure.

A carved wooden reliquary guardian figure, from the Kota people of Gabon, is decorated with copper strips and plates. This type of figure is placed on baskets containing the skulls and bones of ancestors to protect them from evil forces.

A carved antelope headdress, crafted by the Bamana people in Mali, is worn with a full body fiber costume representing water. The headdress is strapped to the head during harvest festivals to beg the blessing of the spirits for a good harvest.

Symbols of leadership, such as a ceremonial stool from the Akan people of Ghana, are also on display. The stool, which represents the unity of the state and the authority of the chief, is a pure symbol. Not used for sitting, it is placed on a cushion to the right of the chief when he holds court.

On exhibit for the first time is beadwork from the Ndebele tribe northeast of Pretoria, South Africa, including intricate necklaces worn by women. A variety of purses worn during courting rituals by men from the Wodaabe, nomads from, central Niger and parts of Nigeria and Cameroon, are also on display. Other items include various animal skins and a selection of prints from paintings by Joy Adamson from watercolors held in the collection of the National Museum in Nairobi.

The exhibit is one of three concurrent shows in the Ben Shahn Galleries. "Rocco Scary: Paper and Fire," on view in the East Gallery, is a one-person exhibit featuring Scary’s artist’s books constructed of handmade paper and steel. On view in the South Gallery is a selection of drawings by the University’s faculty artists.

This exhibit is made possible in part by funds from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a partner agency of the National Endowment for the Arts.
For additional information, please call the Ben Shahn Galleries at William Paterson University, 973-720-2654.

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For Further Information, contact:

Mary Beth Zeman, Director, Public Relations 973-720-2966

8/25/03