46 MUSEUM news CURRENCY Geneva—Exhibitions at the Musée- Barbier Mueller in Geneva are always anticipated with impatience given the reputation they have among art lovers. The most recent of them, titled Monnaies—d’objets d’échange dans les collections Barbier Mueller (Currencies—Items of Exchange in the Barbier-Mueller Collection), is on view until October 30, 2016. In it, the diversity of the currencies used by a variety of African, Asian, and Oceanic cultures is the vehicle for an aesthetic journey that is sustained by the sumptuousness of the often precious materials (feathers, ivory, textile, shell, metal, etc.) of which these objects are made. Curated by Anne Vanderstraete, the exhibition is not restricted to the presentation of objects with a solely monetary function. Instead, the emphasis is on objects involved in transactions and exchanges that take place in connection with major life and societal events, such as births, initiation ceremonies, coronations, and funerals. Because of this, the show includes a wide variety of objects from the three continents it addresses—shields, jewelry, textiles, goldweights, ceremonial items, etc.— the symbolic value of which makes them suitable for public display and for being offered as gifts. A richly illustrated catalog accompanies the exhibition and invites refl ection on the notion of value—of materials, of objects, and of relationships between the members of any given society—which is the central theme of this exhibition. LEFT: Lime spatula. Sudest Island, Louisiade Archipelago, Papua New Guinea. Tortoise shell. L: 27.3 cm. Inv. 4160. RIGHT: Necklace. Berber, Ida ou Semlal, Morocco. Amber, amazonite, coral, silver, enamel fi ligree, coins. L: 60 cm. Inv. 1000-45. MIDDLE RIGHT: Pectoral, marangga. Western Sumba, Indonesia. Gold. H: 16 cm. Inv. 3669. LOWER RIGHT: Hoeshaped ceremonial currency. Mambila or Chamba, Cameroon or Nigeria. Iron. H: 26 cm. Inv. 1015-116. BELOW: Currency composed of a bale of rods with spiral terminals. Kirdi, Matakam, northern Cameroon. Iron. H: 20.6 cm. Inv. 1018-140. LEFT: Group of small currency crosses, handa, in a bowl. Upemba Depression, Lakes region, Katanga, DR Congo. Copper, terracotta. Crosses: H: 1.5–3.5 cm. Bowl diam: 13 cm. Inv. 1026-475. Photo: Luis Lourenço. Images this page © Musée Barbier- Mueller. Photos: Studio Ferrazzini Bouchet unless otherwise noted.
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