Object Notes

Although known primarily for his involvement in the Mexican mural movement and his brightly colored murals focused on social issues, Diego Rivera also executed a number of portraits, like this self-portrait, that show his talent as a draftsman.

This intriguing footed vessel is decorated with modeled human faces and serpents. Neither the  purpose for which it was made nor the culture in which it originated is known. Images of human faces with snakes issuing from their nostrils can be found in the art of both the Yoruba and the Edo peoples.

This small mask is the insignia of yananio, the last grade before reaching the pinnacle in the Lega's governing Bwami association.

Although this figure is highly abstract, it represents an ancestor of the Kota peoples. The Kota believed that the strength and wisdom of their ancestors survived after death, so they preserved their ancestors' skulls and certain bones.

An akua'ba (or akua'ma in its plural form) is a highly stylized sculpture that depicts the perfect baby.

In this painting, words become a beautiful but frustrating vehicle of incomprehension. A text arises but soon become illegible, needing to be deciphered rather than read.

Matthew Ritchie's suite of etchings, Sea State Five, is rooted in an elaborate, original story that involves forty-nine characters, but essentially centers around a love triangle between an astronaut, an actress, and an envious golem.