Dallas Art Museum

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2012FA-ARTS-1301-4500
Art Appreciation
12/10/12
The Art Around the World The Dallas Art Museum is home to works of art created by many famous artists. Sculptures made by Redon or paintings by Pablo Picasso to name a few sit in the museum. The exhibit also contains artwork created by cultures and the assortment of their lifestyles. The variety of collections ranging from African art to Ancient American art is outstanding and the sheer magnificence of some of the pieces contained in the collections will leave you speechless. We will take a look at just a few in order to get a better understanding of the importance and artistic value of these different kinds of art forms. We first will look at a figure named "Malabi" a male ancestor figure held in the Oceania collection. This figure caught my eye immediately as I walked into the room. Its mere size was impressive and the detail as you approached was incredible. The
figure was made only out of wood and paint by the Sawos people near Papua New Guienea Sepic river region and dates back to the years of 1890-1910. The River is known to be a hot and humid region that contains marshy grass lands and swamps. The Sawo people carved larger-than-life figures in an effort to make the swampy land firm. The figures represented a male ancestor and once dominated the interior space of the men 's ceremonial house. As the figures supported the house their dependents supported the village. These houses were an important political and culture structure in the lives of the villagers, which is why the men 's house were so monumental. The figures were reminders of the past and looked to for guidance, support and wisdom to the men (Kjellgren). The figure Malabi embodies vitality and authority. He contains painful scarification on his body, something that caught my eye when I looked more at the details carved on this piece. The serpents carved on on his legs turn into birds on his stomach and diamonds around is navel were so intricate that it left me in awe of how detailed the figure was. There are masklike faces on Malabi 's hands and feet to represent a bush or tree spirit associated with the hunting of wild pigs, which the Sawos considered a legitimate substitute for a human victim. Artist of Oceania used their art work to enhance the beauty of the human body and to adorn objects in religious activities (Kleiner, Mamiya). We now will turn our attention to the Pre-Columbian Mesoamerica collection. I choose the mask assumed to be that of Tlaloc, the water god that the Aztecs worshiped. It is unclear as to what exactly the mosaic style masks were used for, one thing is certain; the masks were to signify somebody of great power and leadership (Markman). This specific mask is said to be made in the late post classic period around 1350-1521 A.D. It is made out of wood, turquoise, shell, lignite, and resin. This mask was small but its beauty was not ignored. The bright vibrant colors of the turquoise tiles shined in the light and it geometric shapes were very interesting. An Aztec stone sculpture (the entire mask itself) often refers to a human sacrifice, a critical element in the Aztec rituals. The turquoise mosaics enhanced the surface area of the mask. The tedious process would involve grinding tiny tiles, polishing them, and pressing them into a resin matrix applied to a carved wood support. In this specific mask concrete eye holes circle around the mask to signify the rain god Tlaloc and the color of the turquoise tile symbolized the preciousness of life; the blue was for daytime sky and water. The function of this specific mask in unknown but the style of the mosaic mask was used for elaborate festivities, or to impersonate the gods. They were considered treasures and also used at funerals to be placed on the deceased ruler for his burial (McEwan). With the preservation of the mask shows to researchers the concern of the preservation of that ruler, his face would convey strength and wisdom to the Aztecs (Markman). The last piece will be from the African collection. The Helmet Mask (Mukyeem) is from the Democratic Republic of the Congo made in the mid-20th century. This would have to be my favorite piece in the entire museum. The mask is rather large with interesting patterns and beading throughout its entirety. Different textures and design run around the face and display bright red feathers at the top of the mask coming out of a horn like structure (it’s said to be an elephant truck which resembles masculinity). On the base it looks to be covered in some sort of hay and goats hair in the front. It is definitely unlike anything I have ever seen but very beautiful. Although it’s dazzling appearance makes it seem like it was used for some blissful occasion, it was for a more sorrowful time. It appeared in funerals of great men among the Kuba-related people. The Mukyeem mask was used for mourning and nobility; many of these masks in Africa were signifiers of the spirit world and traditionally played a central role in ceremonies (Ham). The cowrie shells that lay on the Mukyeem mask signifies mourning and the ancestor’s bones. Some of the materials were rare like the red feathers that were reserved for the Kuba king. His successor would wear the mask at the funeral ceremony to receive the power and symbolize the continuity of the royal line (Hackett). The Mukyeem mask covered the entire head and unlike most masks it does not consist of eye holes making it a "blind mask". The dancer who wore the mask would perform ancient steps with pride and gravity while sighted attendants stood on guard near him.

Cassie Aston
2012FA-ARTS-1301-4500
Art Appreciation
12/10/12
Bibliography

Hackett, Rosalind , Abiodun, Rowland .
Art and Religion in Africa. New York, N.Y.: Continuum International Publishing Group, 1998.

Ham, Anthony. West Africa 7. : Lonely Planet, 2009

Kjellgren, Eric. Oceania: Art of the Pacific Islands in the Metropolitan Museum of Art . New York, N.Y.: Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2007.

Kleiner, Fred S., Mamiya, Christin J. Gardner 's Art Through the Ages: Non-Western Perspectives. Boston, Ma: Cengage Learning, 2009.

Markman, Peter T., Markman, Roberta H. Masks of the Spirit: Image and Metaphor in Mesoamerica. Berkeley, Los Angles, Oxford: University of California Press, 1989.

McEwan, Colin. Turquoise Mosaics from Mexico. Durham, NC: Duke University Press, 2006.

Art Works from The Dallas Art Museum

Sawos people., (village). (1890-1910). Male ancestor named Malabi [ancestor figure]

Mixtec-Aztec culture., (Mexico city). (A.D. 1350-1521). Mask, possibly of Tlaloc [ritual
mask]

Kuba people,. (Democratic Republic of Congo). (mid- 20th century). Helmet Mask (Mukyeem) [ritual mask]