Under surveillance from the walls and pedestals, 15 people filed into the Hood museum's Friend's Gallery yesterday evening. The purpose of their hour-long visit was a talk given by Hood Museum Senior Ethnographic Curator Tamara Northern titled "Spirits Good to Think With."
The visitors were watched by over 60 pairs of eyes from an assortment of African ceremonial sculpture researched and assembled by Northern.
Through field work and historical analysis, Northern enlightened the audience about the significance of each piece and the common thread that binds them all.
The series of masks on display were primarily used in traditional ceremony as a symbolic medium where the human and spiritual world coalesced, an important concept ingrained in the thought of the entire African continent.
"Masks are a point of intersection of forces from elsewhere and human forces and are under human control," Northern explained.
"Spirits Good to Think With" is the first of a set of two gallery talks given in support of the winter term exhibition titled "Correspondences: African Sculpture at the Hood Museum of Art."
The listeners, representing all members of the community, responded well to the talk, agreeing on its success and expressing interest in the follow-up talk.
Northern addressed only the masks of the exhibit in last night's talk, saving the other carvings, including the centerpiece of the exhibition, "Power Figure," for her continuing talk on Feb. 19.
Emphasis was placed on the unity in theme of the masks, despite the vast differences in their cultures of origin.
Truly "Pan-African," the origins of the masks ranged from all across the continent. The majority of the pieces originated in Zaire and Cameroon.
Northern said the "bovine" themed masks are "collage[s] of the major characteristics of all animals."
Horns, open jaws and feathers represent the power and spirit of the creatures depicted.
Northern explained that specific animals were traditionally associated with specific supernatural powers and that these associations were present in many cultures throughout the continent.
Animals, such as the leopard, elephant and buffalo, possessed spirits which could be used by the humans to achieve their own ends.
The title of the talk refers to the spirit of these important creatures whose images appear on the various masks.
As Northern explained, "Humans have always had a pensive engagement with animals."
Northern's expertise in African Ethnographic Art was impressive, leaving listeners lingering in discussion for more than a few moments after the talk was concluded.
The works included pieces of the museum's permanent collection, and works on extended loan. After March 2 the pieces will be stowed away, until called for by another exhibition or class.
