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74 ABOVE: Installation view of wayana apalai and tiriyo headdresses/body costumes used for the marake ritual of initiation into adulthood for eligible boys. Houston Museum of Natural Science. BELOW: Shaman’s stool, mude. Ye’kuana, Venezuela or Brazil. Wood, pigment. LEFT: Altar head. Benin Kingdom, Nigeria. 16th century. Brass. University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archeology and Anthropology, Philadelphia, purchased from W. O. Oldman. Image courtesy of the Penn Museum. Photo: Gary Ombler for Dorling Kindersley. BELOW: Two fi gures. Kongo, DR Congo or Angola. Ivory. H: 6.6 cm. Loaned by the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology. Image courtesy of the Penn Museum. Congo includes cloth, made from dyed raffi a and other natural fi bers, showing bold and lively geometric designs, along with carved wooden cups, bowls, and boxes adorned with patterns. Also included are brass weights from present-day Ghana that are miniature sculptures of people, animals, objects, and abstract patterns refl ecting motifs and proverbs from West Africa. The exhibition closes with a display of Kota reliquary fi gures from present-day Gabon and Republic of the Congo, which were made to protect bundles of ancestral relics and are distinguished by exquisite applied metalwork. Look Again was curated by Kristina Van Dyke and will be the subject of an article in the autumn issue of this magazine. MUSEUM news OUT OF THE AMAZON Houston—The Houston Museum of Natural Science has an unparalleled Amazonia collection, priceless items from which—ceremonial objects, masks, body costum es, headdresses, and more—are showcased in the exhibition Out of the Amazon: Life on the River. Sharing the story of thirteen distinct peoples, the spectacular feather art objects and other rare artifacts are complemented by photographs, videos, and even the animals that live side by side with these indigenous communities. The installation offers a glimpse of everyday life as well as the varied spiritual beliefs and customs of the rapidly disappearing indigenous groups of the Amazon rainforest. Out of the Amazon was organized and curated by Adam Mekler and is accompanied by an illustrated catalog. It will be the subject of an article in the autumn issue of this magazine. CREATIVE AFRICA Philadelphia—The Philadelphia Museum of Art is presenting a suite of fi ve exhibitions that feature a broad spectrum of the arts from across the African continent, past and present. Counterpointing individual installations that look at contemporary African fashion, photography, design, and architecture, the centerpiece exhibition is Look Again: Contemporary Perspectives on African Art, a major show that addresses the rich artistic heritage of West and Central Africa, reexamining the diverse styles and functions of African art through the act of close looking. The majority of the objects are drawn from the collection of the Penn Museum at the University of Pennsylvania, which is one of the earliest and fi nest in the United States, though it is relatively little known. On view until September 25, 2016, Look Again places a strong emphasis on process, materials, and ornamentation, as well as the understanding that can be gained through an examination of context, function, and provenance. Among the highlights are Benin ivories and bronzes, among them plaques that once adorned the royal palace. Wood sculptures from West, Central, and South Africa, including power fi gures created to strengthen, protect, or heal their users, are featured as well. These works range in size from small handheld objects to fi gures of imposing scale, and include important nail fi gures. Art from the Kuba culture in the present-day Democratic Republic of the


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