The Arts of Africa: Chamba couple Playing with Fire: Jupiter and Juno

The Arts of Africa galleries were spread out in two big rooms that were connected to each other. The objects were in displays all around the rooms in the walls and in freestanding display boxes. The displays either contained one or multiple objects. There were approximately 300-400 pieces in these galleries. Each of them stood a few inches apart if they were in the same display or 2 - 5 feet apart otherwise. The objects were grouped by areas of origin, and similarity by display boxes. The different regions included Western Sudan, New Guinea, Guinea Coast, Central African Savanna, South Africa, Equatorial Rain Forest, Kingdom of Benin, Nigeria and the special exhibit, Echoing Images. Some of the freestanding displays were grouped together by partitions creating the Benin and Echoing Images sections. The room was well lit with ample lighting and a spotlight was shined on each object individually. The exhibit was not easy to follow, yet, the way it was displayed it was nice to look at. I found the exhibit to be moderately educational. If I were the curator of this exhibit, I would definitely arrange the objects to a better structure. I would group the pieces according to their region of origin as they did. But I would make sure that there was a clear boundary between groups and clearly label the cluster of objects. I would also try to use the wall displays less because it impaired the examination of the other dimension of the objects. I didnt like the galleries as a whole. I only found interest in the Kingdom of Benin and the Echoing Images exhibit. I did not know enough background information and neither was there enough information provided to understand the other African pieces.

In the exhibit, Playing with Fire, sculptures were spread out through about 10 medium sized long rooms connected to each other. It resembled a hallway at certain points. There were approximately 118 objects that were in freestanding display boxes as well as relief pieces that were in the wall. The displays were at eyelevel and about 2 - 3 feet apart so you can see all the way around. Sculptures were grouped by topics that include Sculptor/Method, Autonomous, Prizes, Reference to Antique, Monument, Relief Sculpture, Group Aesthetics/Men and Centaurs, Cupid, Arcadia, Love of Gods, Heroes and Heroines, Great Men, Funerary Sculpture, Genre Sculpture, and Religious Sculpture. The rooms were dim and the lights were mostly aimed on the pieces and around the displays. This exhibit was very easy to follow. The long corridor guided me through the exhibit as the different topics transitioned slowly. The way the objects were arranged was also maintaining an illustration of the process and progression of sculpting. It was very educational due to that fact. The exhibit was very aesthetic and the environment was perfect for the display of these works. I enjoyed this exhibit very much maybe due to the mixture of my fondness of naturalistic art and my admiration of mythology. I chose the Chamba Couple statue from the Echoing Images exhibit in the African galleries. This is a sculpture made of dark wood that is pigmented reddish, but the dye wore off a little. The whole thing stood about a foot or a foot and a half tall. Two figures are standing next to each other with their hands at their sides and slightly bent elbows. They apparently were a couple. They are not connected, except for a flat cylindrical structure surrounding their waists. Under the cylindrical structure, there exist only two legs slightly bent at the knee. One leg seems to come from one and the other leg from the other figure. They both look identical except for their hair or crown. The left one has a

flat row of hair going from front to back that is spikey, resembling a mohawk. The right one has a flat row of hair just like the other one but without spikes, resembling a sharks dorsal fin. Both figures have elliptical heads with big ears. Dots represent the eyes and the mouth is opened in a circle with thick lips. This wooden sculpture represents the ancestors of the Chamba people of Nigeria. It was placed in a field as a shrine to honor royal ancestors. This served to guide the living with the spirits and blessings of their ancestors. The symmetry of the two figures shows how the sexes were quite equal in their society. The legs symbolize how they are dependent on each other; without one leg it would topple over. Today, it definitely does not have the same meaning it had in the days that it was used. It no longer represents Chamba ancestors and is only an artifact of the civilization. I chose this piece because it caught my eye. The symmetry and the red pigment grasped me as well as the unusual settings of the legs and waist. The piece I chose from the Playing With Fire exhibit was the Jupiter and Juno statue. This sculpture was carved from terracotta and fired by Sergel of Rome. The base is a round platform and on it stood Juno and Jupiter. Jupiter kneels on his front knee and the other leg is upright. Juno is standing between his legs with her back leg kicked out. Jupiter has his front arm on her waist and the back arm stretching onto her far shoulder. His head is crooked to the side and his mouth is open while he stares at her. Juno is holding her chest with her hand and her arm is on his shoulder while the other arm is by her side. She looks down at him with her arched back as she stands very elegantly. Jupiter is massive in his musculature and Juno has the perfect body. They are both scantily

clad and topless with cloth draped over their bodies. Jupiters eagle is behind him peering over at Juno with caution. This sculpture depicts Jupiter and Juno with sexual theme. Juno is somewhat flaunting herself at her husband and he is on his knees with desire. Nudity and the two perfect bodies represent sexuality. It doesnt have much functionality to it except for aesthetic reasons. It would still possess the same functionality today while it is in the museum and being looked at for its beauty and form. I decided upon this piece because of its abundance in realism. I also pick this sculpture because Jupiter and Juno were the two supreme Roman gods and it was interesting to see the flawlessness in their depiction. Differences in these two works are very evident. The Chamba couple was considerably more stylized. The figures do resemble human but to a certain extent. The Jupiter and Juno statue is very lifelike. Although it is over exaggerated as to the physique of these individuals, we can clearly see them as flesh and bone. The rigidity and the linear parts of the Chamba couple are very different from the curvature of the bodies and robes of the Jupiter and Juno sculpture. The two figures of the Chamba statue are identical with the hair as exception. A couple cannot be as androgynous as this appears. Jupiter is strong and masculine while Juno is delicate and feminine. Even their different exposed body parts show the sturdy asymmetry. Equality of the sexes is shown by the symmetry but in the other sculpture men were meant to be powerful and women were voluptuous. Both the sculptures included a married couple but in the Chamba statue, there was no direct contact between the spouses. In the sculpture of Jupiter and Juno, Jupiter is all over his wife Juno engaging in copious contact. This shows the difference of the rigid

culture of male and female relations of the Chamba people compared to the laxity and nonchalant ways of Roman thought of these relations.

Museum Report I
The Arts of Africa: Echoing Images: Chamba couple Playing With Fire: Love of Gods: Jupiter and Juno

Abdullah Art100 Spring 2004