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50 RIGHT: Hair comb. Ashanti, Ghana. Early 20th century. Wood. © Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, Cambridge, UK. MUSEUM News AFRICA WRAPPED, ROBED, AND BEADED Chicago—Dress is among the most personal forms of visual expression, creating a buffer and a bridge between the private and the public self while acting as a highly visible indicator of an individual’s current position or future aspirations. All of the status-related aspects of personal dress—the plentiful use of sumptuous materials, the showcasing of labor-intensive details, and the sacrifice of comfort for a display of luxury— play a part in the conspicuous presentation of social identity. Special forms of luxury dress may be related to position, prestige, or wealth. They may also signal particular standing within a community or a moment of transition from one role to another. Such garments often exhibit exceptional design and craftsmanship. They are also frequently cumbersome to wear, requiring practiced showmanship to don and wear with grace. The Art Institute of Chicago is addressing such notions of status in dress as they relate to sub-Saharan cultures with its current exhibition, Africa Wrapped, Robed, and Beaded, which can be seen until October 6, 2013. This special presentation of works drawn from the Art Institute’s permanent collection highlights six forms of status dress from Africa. Each example features a lavish use of materials that emphasize status through dazzling display. THE AFRO COMB Cambridge—The 6,000-year history of the Afro comb, its extraordinary impact on cultures worldwide, and community stories relating to hair today are being explored in an exhibition at the Fitzwilliam Museum and the Museum of Archaeology & Anthropology in Cambridge, UK. The traditional African comb has been used in the creation, maintenance, and decoration of hairstyles for both men and women for more than six millennia. In many African societies, both ancient and modern, the hair comb symbolizes status, group affiliation, and religious beliefs. This continues today with the Afro comb, which has an iconic status, and the famous “black fist” comb, which has taken an important place in twentieth century political history as an emblem of the Black Power Movement. Origins of the Afro Comb, which can be seen until November 3, 2013, follows the evolution of the comb from pre-dynastic Egypt to the present, using hundreds of examples to trace the similarities in form and the remarkable diversity of design found across Africa and the African diaspora. The exhibition is a part of a legacy project to record how the comb is used today, with visitors being encouraged to contribute their personal stories and hairstyles both to the exhibition and to archives for future generations. CURTIS IN ARIZONA Tucson—Edward S. Curtis, the famed photographer of the American West, created iconic images of Native peoples at the start of the twentieth century. Lauded and decried, Curtis’ sepia-toned portraits have fascinated generations of audiences and, for better or worse, continue to influence how the world thinks of American Indians. Curtis Reframed, at the Arizona State Museum (ASM) from November 9, 2013–July 2015, explores Curtis’ work from 1900 to 1921 that is specific to Arizona, featuring approximately sixty photogravures from the museum’s permanent collection and the Center for Creative Photography. These are augmented with narratives from his twenty-volume lifework, The North American Indian. LEFT: Royal tunic. Yoruba, Odo-Ona Ilorin, Kwara State, Nigeria. Early–mid-20th century. Art Institute of Chicago; Restricted gift of Cynthia and Terry E. Perucca; African and Amerindian Art Purchase Fund. BELOW: Mosa—Mohave, by Edward S. Curtis, Arizona, 1903. Photogravure. From Edward S. Curtis, The North American Indian, Seattle, Washington, 1907–30, Suppl. v. 2, pl. 61. Arizona State Museum permanent collection.


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