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spring summer 2011

MCCM Newsletter Spring and Summer 2011

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Page 1: MCCM Newsletter Spring and Summer 2011

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Page 2: MCCM Newsletter Spring and Summer 2011

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We will continue to mine our permanent collections for the fall exhibition as well when we present our most recent research and conservation on the Museum’s rare Old Kingdom mummy. Known to be the oldest Egyptian mummy in the Western Hemisphere, this very special mummy has been in the Museum’s collection since 1920 when Dr. William Shelton from the Candler School of Theology brought it to Emory. Work is already underway on this exhibition and conservation project and we will keep you posted as the research progresses.

Please enjoy the featured articles in this newsletter, updating you on special events such as the celebra-tion of the 2500 year anniversary of the Battle of Marathon; fascinating people in our Museum community; exciting exhibitions as mentioned above; and upcoming fundraisers like Veneralia. And, as always, I look forward to seeing you in the galleries! Z

Bonnie Speed Director

What better way to begin 2011 than with two exhibitions high-lighting works of art from our permanent collections. We are so pleased to present Divine Intervention: African Art and Religion as well as Monsters, Demons, and Winged Beasts: Composite Creatures in the Ancient World, two exciting shows organized primarily from the Museum’s collections. While a number of loans from museums and private collectors are sprinkled in among our treasures, the majority of objects populating these two exhibitions are “permanent residents” of the Michael C. Carlos Museum.

The old adage, “museums are defined by the quality of their permanent collections” has held true over time. Exhibitions are important educational tools for a museum; however, the life span of a temporary exhibition is rarely longer than four months. Permanent collections on the other hand are, well, permanent. They live in the museum, rotating from storage to display, teaching generations of museum visitors as the decades pass. While the Carlos Museum has focused on acquiring quality works of art for many years now, a challenging economic environment inspired us to focus on using a selection of these acquired artworks to create temporary exhibitions. Two curators, Dr. Jessica Stephenson and Dr. Jasper Gaunt, sifted through the permanent collections for their respective exhibitions in order to investigate the divine in African art and explore the meaning of composite creatures in the ancient world. I hope you enjoy these two very special exhibitions.

Director’sletter

Exploring the affectivity and the efficacy of divinely inspired art on the African experience is the topic of Divine Intervention: African Art and Religion, an

exhibition drawn from the Michael C. Carlos Museum’s rich collection of African art, with select loans from private collections. The exhibition, running through Dec-ember 2011, showcases more than 50 works from more than 20 African cultures. Included are a protective Ethiopian processional cross with an icon image of the Madonna and Child; a Malinke hunter’s shirt from Mali festooned with empowering animal teeth, horns, and tooled leather packets containing holy texts from the Qur’an; and a diminutive ceramic vessel molded in Nigeria to house the physical illness pulled from a patient’s body. These and other objects featured in the exhibition were once imbued with magical powers activated in ritual contexts to heal, protect, and transform. The exhibition explores the power of objects designed

AfricAn Art At thE intErsEction of rEligion, Psychology, AnD MEDicinE BY Dr. Jessica stephenson

shrine sculpture of Mami Wata, nigeria, ibibio, annang. 20th century. Wood, kaolin, pigment, paint. 1994.3.9. Gift of William s. arnett. © Michael c. carlos Museum, emory University. photo by Bruce M. White.

cover: albrecht Dürer (German, 1471–1528). Saint Anthony, 1519. engraving. James t. Laney Fund, 2010.44.1

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fate, whether the family owning the ibeji is a follower of Islam or not.

Once an artist has carved the ere ibeji, it is consecrated, an act that transforms the artist’s work into an efficacious intermediary and vessel for the child’s spirit, (emi) by soaking the figure in a medicine of leaves and water and rubbing it with palm oil and shea butter. In the act of consecra-tion the figure becomes an image with recognizable meaning—an individualized ere ibeji. The ibeji is bathed, dressed, rubbed with camwood and indigo, fed, and played with, just as a living child would be. By giving visual shape to invisible spiritual realities and concepts, the African ritual arts included in Divine Intervention transform the everyday world into the world as it is religiously and morally imagined for the benefit of humankind. The art image makes real, maintains, and renews the imagined world of the divine. Z

Friction oracle (Itombwe). Kuba peoples, Democratic republic of congo, 20th century. Wood, beads, metal, fiber. l2010.5.6. Lent by sue trotter. © Michael c. carlos Museum, emory University. photo: Bruce M. White.

anthropomorphic healing Vessel (Kwandolowa). cham or Mwona, nigeria, 20th century. ceramic.l2010.5.3. Lent by sue trotter. © Michael c. carlos Museum, emory University. photo:Bruce M. White.

processional cross. ethiopia, Gondar, late 1700s. Brass. 2005.65.1. Museum purchase. © Michael c. carlos Museum, emory University. photo: Michael McKelvey.

reliquary Figure. Gabon, Fang, late 19th–early 20th century. Wood, palm oil, pigment. l2010.4.1. Lent by Dr. Lewis M. Dubroff.

to communicate with African divini-ties—gods, spirits, and ancestors—for the purpose of addressing funda-mental human concerns regarding physical health, psychological well-being, and social harmony.

One theme addressed in the exhibition is the creation of art as a response to crisis: physical, social, or psychological. The circumstances surrounding the making of the large scale shrine figure of Mami Wata is one example. Mami Wata, pidgin English for “Mother of Water,” is a water spirit who enjoys a wide following in Central Africa, West Africa, and regions of the African Diaspora. The Carlos Museum’s Mami Wata sculpture was carved by an Ibibio artist living in Nigeria. In Ibibio thought the otherworld exists in contrast to the world of physical reality. It is a world of gods and the ancestors, as well as numerous malevolent and benevolent spirits, including Mami Wata whose particular domain is the watery otherworld beneath rivers and creeks. She is a charis-matic spirit, a seductive temptress who bestows good fortune and material wealth on followers as

long as they do not break their “contract” with her.

Representations of Mami Wata generally depict her as a woman with light skin and long dark hair wreathed in snakes. In a short story, Nobel Laureate Chinua Achebe describes Mami Wata’s elusive nature: “Some of the beautiful young women you see squeezing through the crowds are not people like you and me, but mammy wata who have their towns in the depths of the river … You can tell them, because they are beautiful with a beauty that is too perfect and too cold. You catch a glimpse of her with the tail of your eye, then you blink, … but she has already vanished in the crowd.”

Awareness of Mami Wata usually proceeds from a particular crisis, such as sterility or other health issues; recurring, disturbing dreams; or unusual social behavior. In con-sultation with a diviner, one may find that the problems result from the unhappiness or jealousy of Mami Wata. In such a case, it is necessary to commission a carved figure to which conciliatory offerings of food, money, and other gifts can be made. The physical form that the sculpture

takes is derived from knowledge of her acquired by the client and the artist who may dream of her during the time it takes to carve the figure. The figure is then placed at the center of a shrine and densely packed with offerings like alcohol, perfume, talcum powder, plastic jewelry, and other imported luxury goods. These offerings are spiritual magnets meant to attract Mami Wata to ensure her presence and support.

The shrines of Mami Wata devotees express their very personal relationships with this deity. Through dreams and visions, devotees journey to Mami Wata’s fabulous under-water realm. These aquatic excursions are evoked in the shrine through the use of white, blue, and green colors, as well as the inclusion of boats, fish, wavy lines, and aquatic plants.

Another artwork featured in Divine Intervention created in response to crisis, in this case the death of a twin child, highlights the act of consecration in trans-forming a sculpted object into an effective image. According to the

Yoruba peoples of Nigeria, twins share a single soul. In the event of a twin’s death, the parents consult an Ifa diviner, who may decide that an ere ibeji should be carved as a substitute for the deceased child, although today photographs often replace carvings. By caring for the ibeji, the family keeps the deceased child happy in the after-life and ensures that the living twin does not die in order to join its deceased half.

Although associated with indi-vidual deceased children, ere ibeji are not portraits, but instead are shown as physically mature adults in the hopes that the child’s spirit will return in another life and grow to adulthood. The Museum’s statue’s smooth surface, decorative scarification marks, and elabor- ate hair patterns denote a fully socialized adult. Its erect bearing indicates moral intelligence and mental alertness. Carved triangular pendants on the chest and back of the statue represent leather amulets (tirah) that hold quotations from the Islamic holy book, the Qur’an. Tirah protect the soul of the twin residing within the ibeji from ill

Twin Memorial Figure (ere ibeji), Bamgboye school, Yoruba peoples, nigeria, late 19th–early 20th centuries. Wood, Beads, pigment. 1994.004.794. ex coll. William s. arnett.

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generations in Greece, could be reintroduced. By far the most engag-ing way to observe the interaction between Greece and the Levant is to take a look at the monsters, demons, and winged beasts that suddenly enter the visual and literary vocabu-lary of this so-called Orientalizing Revolution. The newly opened exhibition draws heavily on the Museum’s permanent collections of Egyptian, Near Eastern as well as Classical antiquities, but

supplements these with loans from the Manuscript, Archives and Rare Books Library of Emory and private collections in Atlanta, New York, Kansas City, and else-where. Approximately 250 objects, spanning over four millennia, two dozen distinct cultures and a vast geographical terrain, contextualize the emergence of these monsters in Greece and their proliferation in later Classical and late antique settings.

During the eighth and seventh centuries bc, Greece changed out of recognition. A tide of rising economic good fortune led to the foundation of Greek

settlements around the Mediterranean basin and throughout the Black Sea, several of which (including Marseilles, Naples, and Istanbul) still flourish.

The cultural influences exerted on Greece by Egypt and the Ancient Near East at this time can hardly be exaggerated. Greek architects would adopt wholesale ancient Egyptian traditions for the con-struction of sacred buildings, while sculptors imported ideas of Egyptian statuary to Greece. From Semitic and Phoenician communities on the Levantine coast, the Greeks would borrow the alphabet, so that writ- ing, at that time lost for several

MonstErs, DEMons, AnD WingED-BEAsts: coMPositE crEAturEs in thE AnciEnt WorlD BY Dr. Jasper GaUnt

Fig. 1. the centaur cheiron, watching peleus wrestling thetis. attic black-figure band cup, attributed to the oakeshott painter, ca. 540 bc. ceramic. 2000.1.2. carlos collection of ancient art.

The exhibition is structured around monsters that appear in the earliest surviving Greek literature, the Iliad and Odyssey of Homer, and the Theogony of Hesiod. Homer introduces only two mon-sters in the Iliad, both incidentally: the horse-man centaur Cheiron [Fig. 1], who was the tutor of one of the protagonists, Achilles; and the fire-snorting lion, with a snake’s tail and a goat protome emerging from his back, known as the Chimaera, who was killed by Bellerophon mounted on the winged horse Pegasos [Fig. 2]. The Odyssey, the world’s earli-est rhyme of an ancient mariner, is naturally fuller of these supernatural creatures, of which the exhibition features three. A one-eyed giant-sized Cyclops, Polyphemos, ate the men of Odysseus until they blinded him and escaped from his cave by tying themselves under his sheep.

The Sirens [Fig. 3] in art came to be birds with human faces, whose beautiful song lured sailors to a rocky death. And Skylla, the fero-cious many headed creature that picked off and devoured passing sailors became a composite: a fishy tail attached to a female body at the waist, and dogs emerge at the junction [Fig. 4]. From Hesiod’s Theogony, part of the astonish-ing family tree of the offspring of Pontos (Ocean) and Ge (Land) is recreated, with representations of six brothers and sisters: Orthros, Kerberos, Hydra, Chimaera, Sphinx, and the Nemean Lion.

Around each of these creatures in Greece, a web of stories comes to be spun. Purely Greek here is the narrative interest that links story with story; and purely Greek too are several individual elements. Overwhelming, however, is the

Fig. 3. siren perched on a bough. attic black-figure little master cup, attributed to the tleson painter, ca. 530 bc. ceramic. 2005.52.1. Gift of Glenn Verrill in memory of Jean Verrill.

Fig. 2. chimaera being killed by Bellerophon mounted on pegasos. etruscan scarab intaglio, ca. 400 bc. carnelian with original gold ring. 2009.8.1. carlos collection of ancient art.

Fig. 4. skylla. Detail from a paestan red-figure calyx-krater signed by asteas as painter, ca. 370 bc. ceramic. 2003.7.1. carlos collection of ancient art.

Fig. 1Fig. 4Fig. 3

Fig. 2

indebtedness to Near Eastern, Semitic, and Egyptian sources. Thus, for instance, the exhibition is able to demonstrate in the case of the Nemean Lion, that well-known lion-fighters such as Gilgamesh or Samson are directly related as ancestors of the Greek Herakles [Fig. 5]. The imagery of lion-fight-ing is explored as far back as the Akkadian period in the late third millennium bc, and its historical aspect in royal lion fights in Egyptian and Assyrian or Persian contexts indicated by means of a monumental scarab of the Egyptian pharaoh Amenhotep iii (ruled ca. 1386–1349 bc), recording how many lions he himself had killed that particular day. In the case of the Sirens, we can trace the icono-graphical type from Greece back to an Egyptian entity known as the ba-bird. The Egyptians believed that on death, the soul divided into three parts: one remained with the body of the deceased; one went to the Underworld; and the other, the ba-bird, mediated between the two. On a judgment scene on the coffin of Tanakhtnettahat, the ba-bird is represented as a human-headed bird with human arms extended in sup-plication. The arms are dispensed with on a wooden votive statuette. The association of the ba-bird with death seems to have been preserved in the Greek Siren because a number of them appear on classical grave reliefs and on the handles of bronze vessels that were ultimately used as

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able to collect many important artifacts, but perhaps none so rare as this mummy.

The fragile remains were carefully packed and shipped back to Atlanta. Owing to the very delicate condition of the mummy, it has been in storage for many decades. However, thanks to advances in both conservation science and the assistance of radiolo-gists at Emory Hospital, modern technology will allow us to not only restore the mummy to a semblance of its original condition, but also give us glimpses into the life and possibly the identity of Emory’s oldest campus resident.

Dating to around 2300 bc, the mummy comes from the twilight of Egypt’s Old Kingdom, which saw the creation of the Great Sphinx and pyramids of Giza. Towards the end of this era, in the Sixth Dynasty, wealth and power began to slip away from the king and his court to the provincial nobility. During this time the nomarchs, or provincial governors, of Abydos began building their tombs on a promontory known as the Middle Cemetery. This over- looked a processional route that led out into the desert to the tombs of the kings of the First Dynasty. This

the Emory old Kingdom Mummy by Dr. peter Lacovara

While Ancient Egyptian mummies have fascinated museum visitors for ages, very little is known about the early evolution of the mummifi-cation process. This gap in knowl-edge comes from the rarity of early examples of mummies, since only a handful of these first attempts at embalming from Egypt’s earliest dynasties are known to exist. The Carlos Museum is fortunate to have the only Old Kingdom mummy in the Americas.

The mummy, with the remains of its original wooden coffin, was purchased from excavations at the sacred site of Abydos, in Middle Egypt, by Emory professor William Arthur Shelton in 1920. Shelton was a favorite student of the great Egyptologist, James Henry Breasted of the University of Chicago. When Breasted was arranging a survey trip through Egypt and the Middle East, he invited the Theology School professor along. Fortunately, Atlanta businessman, John A. Manget had generously donated funds to not only enable Shelton to join the expedition, but also to acquire objects for the University’s museum. Relying on the expert advice of Breasted and the other Egyptologists accompanying them, Shelton was

peter Lacovara, Janet richards, and salima ikram studying fragments of old Kingdom mummy wrappings in the dig house at abydos

comingUp

Dr. peter Lacovara, mummy scholar Dr. Bob Brier, and carlos Museum conservator renee stein position the old Kingdom mummy on the ct scanner at emory University hospital for examination by radiologist Dr. William torres (not in picture)

gallery features recent acquisitions in Works on Paper

The latest additions to the Works on Paper collection are on view in the John Howett Gallery beginning on February 26. The works range from a quiet and contemplative engraving of St. Anthony by German printmaker Albrecht Dürer (1471–1528) to a large color photograph by the con-temporary film and video artist Sam Taylor-Wood (born 1967).

The engravings, etchings, drawings, and photographs in this exhibition highlight three particular strengths or themes in the collection. The religious narrative and devotional imagery of the Northern Renaissance comprise the first of these and is represented in works by Dürer and by Hieronymus Wierix (1553–1619), who trained by

copying Dürer’s engravings.The Netherlandish printmaker

and publisher Hieronymus Cock (1510–1570) offers a variation anda transition to the second theme, one which encompasses the eras of the Italian Renaissance and Baroque. Cock traveled from Antwerp to Rome where he drew the monu-ments of the Roman Forum. This interest in the rediscovery of ancient Rome was, of course, especially keen among Italian artists, as is seen in the two plates (chosen from the total of twelve) from Pirro Ligorio’s (1510–1583) monumental recreation of the ancient city.

Finally, the collection’s increasing focus on contemporary, primarily American art, can be seen in works by such post-1945 greats as Sol LeWitt (1928–2007) and Andy Warhol (1928–1987), and newer artists like photographer Sally Mann (born 1951). All of these and more will be on display through June 5. Z

onView area became equated with the burial of Osiris, the god of the dead and mythical first king of Egypt.

While the approximate location of the nomarch’s tombs at Abydos had been known from important inscriptions found there in the 1860s, it was not until recent years that an expedition from the Univer-sity of Michigan under the direction of Dr. Janet Richards discovered the actual structures themselves with their beautifully decorated burial chambers.

The ongoing work of this expedition and my participation in it will be featured in the upcoming fall exhibition on the mummy titled Life and Death in the Pyramid Age: the Emory Old Kingdom Mummy on view from September 10 through December 11. The exhibition will showcase our recent examinations and conservation of the mummy, as well as explaining the development and techniques of mummification and its role in Egyptian funerary ritual.

Important objects relating to the mummy and its times will also be on display, lent by institutions from across the country and Europe; many never before seen. Z

hieronymus Wierix. (Flemish, 1553–1619).The Flight into Egypt by Boat, early 1600s. engraving. 2010.11.1 Museum purchase in honor of Dr. Walter s. Melion.

ash-urns. The word “siren,” how-ever, is not Egyptian but Semitic, where, not surprisingly with the Homeric account in mind, it means “beautiful song.” We can infer, therefore, that the Greek encounter with Sirens was primarily effected not directly in Egypt itself, but indirectly on the Levantine coastal cities of Phoenicia where they were trading extensively. It is in these contexts that coinage was invented, and some of the world’s very oldest coins are exhibited here.

Many a monster survived the steady disintegration of the Roman Empire in the fourth and fifth centuries ad and the rise of Christianity. It is their enduring, irresistible appeal that preserved them for our enjoyment today. Z

Fig. 5

Fig. 5. herakles and the nemean Lion. shoulder of an attic black-figured hydria, near the antimenes painter, ca. 530–520 bc. 1984.8. carlos collection of ancient art. photo:Bruce M. White.

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ec ’13 and Arden Davis gsu ’12, who like the fall semester interns, are receiving academic credit for their participation in lab projects. Throughout her fellowship, Katie will continue to serve as a resource for students and the Emory com-munity, significantly enhancing the Parsons Conservation Lab’s capacity to support the Museum’s mission to preserve and educate. Z

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guidance, Charlotte Watts ec ’11 (Visual Arts) and Katherine Hutchin-son ec ’11 (Art History) examined and photographed 19 sculptures on University grounds and in academic buildings. Their review of current conditions lead to recommendations for prioritizing future maintenance, including a list of questions to be addressed by individual artists about preferences for long-term care of their artworks. As part of this project, Katie and the interns cleaned and waxed the brass chairs by Andy Yoder that are installed in Candler Library.

Katie is also contributing to classroom teaching, and gave a lecture on the conservation of archaeological and ethnographic collections in Renée Stein’s course ArtHist 387 “Issues in the Conserva-tion of Art and Cultural Property.” She met with students seeking information about art conservation during a career session organized by the Art History Department. This spring she is working with two student interns, Rebecca Levitan

Katie Etre joins conservation staff

In the fall of 2010, Kathryn (Katie) Etre joined the Parsons Conservation Laboratory as the Carlos Museum’s first Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Advanced Fellow in Objects Conservation. This new fellowship is funded by a grant from the Mellon Foundation to support the Museum’s expanding efforts to link conservation with teaching and research at the Univer-sity. In addition to the fellowship, the $500,000 grant will support interdisciplinary collaborations within the sciences, including new courses, student research projects, and colloquia. The fellowship is a two- or three-year, full-time position for a conservator who has recently completed a graduate degree. Katie holds a ba in archaeology, history, and classic civilizations from Boston University. She earned an ma in Principles of Conservation and an msc in Conservation for Archaeol-ogy and Museums from University College London. She moved to Atlanta from Detroit where she had been a fellow in the objects conservation lab at the Detroit Institute of Arts.

Katie has already become an indispensible asset to the many and diverse functions of the Museum’s lab. In addition to undertaking the treatment of projects and contribut-ing to routine collections care, Katie is working with students who are gaining experience in conservation through internships in the lab. During the fall semester she super-vised two undergraduate interns on the annual condition survey of campus public art. With Katie’s

carlos&thecampus

andrew W. Mellon advanced Fellow in objects conservation, Katie etre, refining fills on a Greek kylix.

emory students charlotte Watts and Katherine hutchinson clean andy Yoder's sculpture Side Chairs in the candler Library as part of an internship supervised by Mellon Fellow, Katie etre.

patterned cloaks (zeira). One of them leads a horse, for which Thrace was famous. Orpheus himself was the son of a Thracian king, Oeagrus, but here he is shown not as a Thracian, but as a Greek. When this vase was made, the agricultural and mineral wealth of Thrace attracted strong Athenian interest. By depict-ing Orpheus in Greek dress, Athe-nian artists were laying claim to the sovereignty of the region.

The wives of the Thracian men, who were mesmerised by Orpheus’s songs became jealous, and brutally killed him. His severed head floated as far as the island of Lesbos, which would enjoy a distinguished tradi-tion of lyric poets that included Sappho and Alcaeus. Such poetry, set to music, was often performed at the symposia for which this vessel (intended to mix water with wine) was created. Z

Column-krater Depicting Orpheus among ThraciansGreek, Attic, attributed to the Naples Painter, ca. 440 bc.Ceramic. 2010.28.1. Carlos Collection of Ancient Art. Gift in honor of Robert Spano.

Acquisitionsandloans

The music of Orpheus was so magical that it cast a spell not only over human beings and animals, but also caused rivers to cease flowing and trees to follow him. Today he is probably most familiar as the husband of Eurydice. She, however, died young, killed by a snake as she fled the advances of Aristaios (the inventor of bee-keeping). Hades, the King of the Underworld, agreed exceptionally to allow Orpheus to take Eurydice back to the realm of the living, provided he did not look over his shoulder at her. On the threshold, Orpheus did look back, and Eurydice was lost to him. For the rest of his life, a solitary Orpheus sought consolation in music.

Here, Orpheus is seated outside on a rocky outcrop as he accom-panies his songs with a lyre. His audience of three is Thracian, as we can tell from their distinctive fox-skin caps (alopekis) and heavy

This delicately rendered mask was recently gifted to the Museum by Atlanta based, African art collector Sue Trotter, who has acquired a carefully chosen group of artworks, primarily from West Africa. Trotter began collecting and studying African art through a personal friend—African art scholar Phillip Ravenhill — with whom she also traveled to Africa, gaining firsthand knowledge of the continent. This mask, which can be seen in the current exhibition, Divine Interven-tion: African Art and Religion, is called Bondo and was commissioned and worn by a female member of a Sherbro-Mende woman’s Sande society in Sierra Leone. The Sande society is responsible for the instruc-tion of young girls into adulthood. This process occurs in the forest under the guidance of senior Sande

members and Bondo nature spirits. Once taught basic female values and trained for marriage, domestic life, and religious, economic, and political pursuits, the girls are integrated back into the village as women. On this occasion they are accom-panied by masqueraders wearing masks such as this one. Z

Sande Society Helmet Mask, Bondo Sherbro-Mende, Sierra Leone, 20th century. Wood. Gift of Sue Trotter.

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Educationnews

Katharine schweitzer and Luke seder winners of the Dolichos. photo © christopher octa

Early on Saturday morning over 300 runners gathered in front of the Carlos Museum to begin their 2.62 mile race through the campus in emulation of Phidippides’ legendary run from Marathon to Athens to announce the Greek victory over the Persians. The race was organized by Angie Dupree in Emory’s Athletics and Recreation Department. Each runner received a “Dolichos @ the Carlos” tee-shirt. Winners in six categories received gift cards from Phidippides Running Center in Ansley Mall and everyone enjoyed Greek pizza from Athens Pizza.

After the athletic pursuits of the morning, the intellectual activity continued with seven of Emory’s most distinguished faculty from Classics, History, the Program in Mediterranean Studies, and Art

Dolichos at the carlos

On september 24 and 25, 2010,the Carlos Museum, other Emory departments, and several community partners celebrated the 2500-year anniversary of the Battle of Mara-thon with a symposium and a 2.62 mile race through the beautiful Emory campus. The Art History Department sponsored the keynote address for the symposium featuring Dr. Andrew Stewart, Professor of Art History and Classics and the Nicholas C. Petris Professor in Greek Studies at the University of California, Berkeley, whose lecture “Go Tell the Spartans . . .” War and the Warrior in Archaic Greek Art attracted a standing room only audience. After the lecture, audience members savored Greek wine and food generously provided by the Greek Consulate of Atlanta and Chef Pano I. Karatassos of Kyma.

anniversary of the Battle of Marathon opening event keynote speakers Dr. Bonna Wescoat and Dr. andy stewart

Greek consul presents certificate and laurel wreath to Katharine schweitzer, women's winner. emory’s Kappa sig fraternity helped manage

the race.

History, presenting short papers highlighting the importance of the battle and its electrifying impact on the society and artistic production of the time.

These programs were made possible by Emory University’s Program in Mediterranean Studies; Art History Department Endowed Lecture Fund; Athletics and Recre-ation and Alumni Association; Mr. and Mrs. Timothy S. Sotos; Phidippides Running Center, serving Atlanta’s running community since 1972; WABE 90.1; Chef Pano I. Karatassos and Kyma; the Consulate of Greece; and the Coca-Cola Company. We are grateful to all of these sponsors for a spectacular weekend at the Carlos Museum. Z

all runners received a commemorative tee-shirt.

carlos&thecampus

student night at the carlos

As part of their semester long internships in the Museum’s Office of Educational Programs, Emory students Caitlyn Ryan and Andrew Sears organized and hosted a Emory Student Night at the Carlos to celebrate the close of fall semester. More than 220 students attended the event, which featured free Bell Street Burritos to the first 40 students and an ice cream bar with toppings galore! Andrew and Caitlyn explored the galleries to come up with trivia questions based on works of art in the collections and the ancient world in popular culture. They also scoured the community for fabulous prizes for the winners including gift cards from Evolve Boutique in Emory Village, Phidippides Running Center, Doc Cheys, and Dave’s Cosmic Subs. Tom Murphy of Murphy’s Restaurant in Virginia Highlands donated the grand prize, a $100 gift card to the perennially favorite Atlanta restaurant. The highlight of the evening was a two-set performance by the Shad-owboxers, a group of talented Emory seniors—Scott Schwartz, Matt Lipkins, Adam Hoffman, and Jamie Reilly—who have established a huge following on campus and in the city. Z

andrew sears and caitlyn ryan organized and hosted the emory student night at the carlos Museum.

calling all carlos campers! June 6–August 5

Get ready for another journey through time and across cultures immersed in the arts of ceramics, bronze-casting, creative drama, and papermaking. Campers, inspired by the ancient world, will work with local artists and learn from ancient artists. In Monsters, Demons, and Winged-Beasts: Ceramics Studio campers will create griffins, centaurs, gorgons, sphinxes, and other strange and wondrous creatures from clay. Camp Carlos will take teenagers into the world of the ancient lost-wax technique in Cast in the Same Mold: Bronze-Casting Studio. They will embark on a journey with the artisans of Inferno Foundry to study the works of bronze in the Carlos Museum collection and fashion their own bronze sculptures. In Paper Chase: Papermaking Studio campers will

learn about the art of papermaking from ancient Egypt to the ancient Americas and will create their own sculptures, inspired by ancient rituals and Carlos Museum objects. Creative drama studios will launch campers into the world of Percy Jackson in Of Gods and Demigods: Percy Jackson @ Carlos and A Case of Sibling Rivalry: The Kane Chronicles @ Carlos.

Camp hours are Monday through Friday, 9 am to 3 pm. Camp sessions are $185 per week for Carlos Museum members; $225 per week for non-members. This year we are offering a 10% discount to families registering more than one child from the same family. Aftercare is available Monday through Friday from 3 to 5 pm for an additional $60.

For more information or to register, please call 404-727-0519. Z

ceramic artist ana Vizurraga works with campers to create clay vessels in the style of ancient american examples from the carlos Museum collections.

atlanta restaurateur pano Karratossos donated the food at the reception.

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strap-handled amphora. egyptian, Dynasty 18. calcite (“egyptian alabaster”). Gift in honor of catherine howett smith’s 25th year of service.

catherine howett smith: twenty-five years of service

In december, Museum staff and volunteers along with family and friends gathered to recognize Associate Director Catherine Howett Smith’s 25th year of service. A cham-pagne toast, remarks by Director Speed, and a chocolate cake were enjoyed by the revelers in recogni-tion of Catherine’s valued contri-butions to the spectacular growth and health of the Museum.

Catherine joined the four-member staff of Emory’s Museum of Art and Archaeology in 1985 as Administra-tive Assistant when the Museum was located in the basement of Emory’s old law school. Her work in museum operations, budget management, public services, exhibition planning, and educational programming led to her appoint-ment to Associate Director in 1989; a game-changing period for the Museum. With the assistance of Michael C. Carlos, plans were underway for an expansion designed by Michael Graves that would quadruple the size of the Museum. To that end, a significant fund raising and marketing initiative was implemented. Catherine was

strap-handled amphora: gift in honor of catherine howett smith

During the sumptuous age of Egypt’s great empire, exquisitely crafted vases were produced to contain cosmetic oils, creams, and perfumes. As befitted their use as luxury items, these containers were made from beautiful stones and carved in sleek, exotic shapes. This piece takes its form from the pottery strap-handled amphora that were produced on the island of Cyprus and imported into Egypt. The translucent stone, found in Egypt but confused with the alabaster of Italian fame, is actually a form of the mineral calcite. This vase was given an extraordinarily high polish, a feature that is found only on the finest of stone vessels made for the members of the royal family and the elite. Z

involved in every detail of this endeavor, participating in the creation and ultimate emergence of the fabulous institution we now know as the Michael C. Carlos Museum. Since the completion of the Graves wing in 1993, Catherine has worked diligently to build staff, enhance the collections, and align Museum priorities with University goals.

We are grateful for Catherine’s 25 years of dedication and commitment to this institution, and pleased to celebrate with an Egyptian strap-handled amphora that was gifted in honor of her steadfast service. Z

catherine howett smith, associate Director of the carlos Museum, joined the staff in 1985.Joan sammons has served the carlos Museum as a

docent, volunteer, and board member.

25years

spotlight: Joan sammons

Joan Sammons’ many years of involvement with the Carlos Museum include a wide range of roles, including docent, collections and conservation volunteer, and board member. In 1986 Sammons became one of the first docents of the then-Emory University Museum of Art and Archaeology, of which five are still touring, teaching, and inspiring Museum visitors. She served two terms as president and several more as social chair of the Docent Guild. Sammons also assisted Dr. Rebecca Stone on the catalogue of the ancient American collection and has provided occasional and always cheerful assistance during exhibi-tion installations. In 1999 she began volunteering in the Parsons Con-servation Lab. Sammons joined the Museum’s Advisory Board in 2007 and has been an active member in the Programs Committee.

When asked about her favorite memories at the Carlos, Sammons remembers the first series of educational programs at the Museum. Sammons helped organize the original family festivals called BC Fest, held on the Emory quad-rangle come rain or shine. “Mostly rain,” she notes, “when the tents threatened to cave in and the wet red clay could suck the shoes right off your feet.” A different culture was presented every year, and for the festival highlighting the ancient Americas, her Yellow Nape Amazon parrot Sammons described as a “wonderful talker,” kept the children entertained with its incessant chatter.

In conjunction with the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, Sammons visited Atlanta area

schools to teach the history of the Olympic Games through Greek and Roman art. Sammons reflects on how important it was to add more to the experience of the Olympics through history and art. “Children love games,” she notes, “so we were already half way there. It becomes irresistible to use these beautiful sculptures of athletes to talk about the significance of the games to the ancient Greeks”

Sammons also reminisces about a project led by Dr. Peter Lacovara and funded by the American Research Center in Egypt to reinstall the display of the oldest material in the Cairo Museum during January 2005. According to Sammons, museum work is always a privilege, but the “Cairo Museum added the thrill factor; imagine holding a 4,000-year-old object and contributing to the installation that brings it out of storage and available to Egyptians, scholars, and tourists.”

Sammons graduated from Wesleyan College with a major in the History of Art. After post-graduate work in education, she taught in Brandon Hall School. Most of the Sammons’s volunteer work has been within the Emory community. These days, when not attending a Museum board meeting or guiding a vip tour, Sammons can often be found in the conservation lab helping to treat objects in preparation for display. Z

carloscommunity

20/20 Veneralia vision

For the 20th anniversary of Veneralia on April 2, the Carlos Museum will be honoring the Museum’s permanent collections, and curators Peter Lacovara, Jasper Gaunt, Monique Seefried, Jessica Stephenson, Margaret Shufeldt, Rebecca Stone, as well as Director of Education Elizabeth Hornor. The festivities will be held under expansive tents on Emory’s historic quadrangle. Patrons, in the com-pany of Museum staff, will enjoy the galleries with cocktails at 7 p.m. followed by dinner and dancing at 8 p.m. The vibrant artistic décor of Robert Long will complement the revelry.

This year’s Veneralia co-Chairs are Merry Carlos, Annette Joseph, and Robert Long; Platinum Sponsors are Wilmington Trust and Robert Long; and Patron Chairs are Su and Al Longman, and Jack Sawyer and Bill Torres. As a philanthropic event proceeds from Veneralia will support a variety of programs including the education and outreach initia-tives that the Museum undertakes each year, reaching more than 26,000 school children and count-less schools across Georgia. To receive an invitation or additional information on admission, please contact the Carlos Museum at 404-727-2326. Z

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D eleanor ridley and Dirk Brown. E armando and tina Luna. f Dawn and Dominic popielski. g Jocelyn ralston, Gregg and natalie codelli .

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A Lisa tillman, anne tatum, christine Barakat, Bernado Villasenor, Lisa smyrl. B Jeff Ford, Margaret redman, Lindsay Denman, Butch Whitfield. c Kate Maran, Jenny Miller, Ben Findley.

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Bacchanal 2010: When love won out

The carlos museum celebrated Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love on October 8, 2010, at the Museum’s vibrant fall fundraiser, Mighty Aphrodite. An integral part of the Museum’s Greek and Roman collection, this statue sculpted in the 1st century ad is among the most complete Roman versions of a Hellenistic Greek original. Approximately 250 guests attended the event and were invited to participate in a voting game based on the Greek myth of Paris, prince of Troy. According to the myth, Paris was forced to choose “the fairest” from three goddesses—Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite—and their promises of power, wisdom, and love respectively. It goes without say-ing that the majority voted for love.

Guests mingled in the Greek and Roman galleries during the cocktail hour then enjoyed Mediterranean- inspired food provided by ten of Atlanta’s finest caterers. Gallery owner Spalding Nix kept the party grooving with great tunes. Kim Vasil of Event Design Group transformed the Museum’s reception hall with Greek and Roman statuary and décor perfectly suited for a celebra-tion of the goddess of love.

This event was the 17th fall fundraiser organized by the Baccha-nal Committee. Bacchanal 2010 Committee co-chairs were Jenny Miller and Lindsay Denman.

Bacchanal 2010 sponsors were National Distributing Company, Coca-Cola Company, AirTran, King & Spalding, Neiman Marcus, Loews, and Todd Tautfest of Wilmington Trust. The media sponsor was The Altantan, and the décor sponsor was Event Design Group. Z

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Membership

Thank you to all of those who have become new members or those who have renewed between July and December, 2010. We greatly appreciate your support and look forward to seeing you at the Museum for many years to come.

cArlos PArtnErshiPMr. and Mrs. Charles S. AckermanMr. and Mrs. James H. Morgens

collEctor’s councilMr. and Mrs. Richard D. AaronsonDr. and Mrs. Robert L. Bunnen

curAtor councilMessrs. Lindsay Denman and Richard ZeglovitchMr. and Mrs. James C. EdenfieldDr. Sarah H. Hill and Mr. Harvey Hill, Jr.Mrs. Marguerite C. IngramMr. Baxter P. Jones and Mrs. Veronique Krafft-JonesMr. James B. Miller, Jr.Mr. and Mrs. Bruce E. MitchellDr. and Mrs. John S. O’SheaMessrs. Louis A. Peneguy and William F. SnyderMr. Nicholas J. PisarisDr. and Mrs. Morris E. PotterMr. and Mrs. Jonathan P. RosenDr. Sandra J. Still and Ms. Emily E. KattMr. and Mrs. Mark TaylorMr. Gregory H. Worthy and Ms. Dawne MorganDr. and Mrs. Sidney H. Yarbrough iii

corinthiAnMrs. Honor C. CobbsDr. and Mrs. Gregg CodelliDr. and Ms. Lawrence W. DavisMr. and Mrs. James L. Ferman, Jr.Mr. Owen H. HalpernDr. Ronald A. JavitchDr. and Mrs. Michael M. E. JohnsMs. Jennifer Marian Frances MillerNeiman MarcusMr. Eric Reynolds and Ms. Regine Reynolds-CornellMs. Joan M. SammonsMr. and Mrs. Howard J. Weinstein

ionicDr. Delores P. Aldridge and Mr. Kwame EssuonMr. William Bowen Astrop, Jr.Mr. and Mrs. Douglas duBois AstropMr. and Mrs. Wayne S. BaileyMr. and Mrs. Chris BalodemasMr. and Mrs. William James BrehmMr. and Mrs. John H. GemmillMr. and Mrs. Stephen P. GeorgesonMr. and Mrs. Charles B. HarrisonMr. W. David JonesMr. and Mrs. Max H. Ker-SeymerMrs. Jo W. KochDr. and Mrs. Fray F. MarshallMs. Marianna McLeanMr. Bernard Van Der Lande and Ms. Reid Preston MizellMr. and Mrs. Spalding McArthur NixMr. and Mrs. Benjamin OrdoverMr. and Mrs. David T. PetersonMs. Nancy J. RobertsMr. Wayne RobinsonMr. Donald E. SnyderMr. Jay L. Stevens, Jr.Mr. and Mrs. Michael R. ThomasMr. Raul F. Trujillo and Mrs. Annie York-TrujilloMessrs. Gary Youngblood and James Michael Lorton

DoricMr. Raymond F. Schutt and Ms. Adrienne J. AndersonMr. and Mrs. H. Ross Arnold iiiMs. Maria AryeeMr. Robert AshmoreDrs. Patricia J. Bauer and James Steven SnowDr. and Mrs. Bruce H. BielfeltMr. Randy Fields and Ms. Elizabeth Anne BouisMr. and Mrs. Alan BremerMs. Kathryn BuckleyDr. Christopher E. ClareMr. and Mrs. Herbert CohenMr. F.H. Boyd CoonsDr. Ann D. CritzMr. Corey DangarMs. Dana DicksonDr. and Mrs. William L. Dobes, Jr.Drs. Imad Mohamad El-Kebbi and Rana Ahmad El-KebbiMr. Kenneth Stewart FalckMs. Jane J. FireyMr. James E. Flynn, Jr.Mr. Brian McClain FulfordMr. Charles V. GayDr. and Mrs. Joel A. GoldsteinMr. and Mrs. Clark M. GoodwinMr. Morris N. HabifMr. and Mrs. Alexander S. HawesMrs. Sally Willingham HawkinsDr. and Mrs. Charles E. HooverMr. and Mrs. Ernest G. Jones iiiMr. and Mrs. James C. KennedyDr. and Mrs. James Del KileyMr. and Mrs. Stephen P. KramerMr. and Mrs. Stephen P. KramerMr. and Mrs. Wayne Alan KrauseMs. Patricia Krull

Dr. and Mrs. John M. LaneDr. and Mrs. Thomas J. LawleyMr. Larry D. Woodring and Ms. Sharon M. LeMasterMr. Richard H. LoweMr. and Mrs. Frank MarxerMr. and Mrs. Robert Louis MessineoMs. Martha J. MillsThe Rev. Mary N. Moore and Mr. W. Ted MooreMr. William MullerMs. Marilyn M. MurdockMs. Lynda D. Nelson BushDrs. Gordon D. Newby and Wendy L. NewbyMr. and Mrs. Galen Lee OelkersMr. and Mrs. Andreas PenningerMr. and Ms. Douglas H. PikeMr. and Mrs. Dominic PopielskiMrs. Catherine Tift PorterMr. and Mrs. Roger C. PressMr. and Mrs. Marion Pinckney Rivers iiiDr. Robert J. Samuels and Ms. Patricia StoneDr. and Mrs. Robert A. SchnapperMr. and Mrs. Bruce A. ShecterMr. and Mrs. James M. SibleyMr. Gerald R. Cooper, Jr. and Mrs. Charlotte F. Slovis-CooperMs. Mary Lynn SmithDr. and Ms. Gary W. TappMs. Virginia S. TaylorMrs. Carol W. ThibadeauMr. and Mrs. Joseph M. ThompsonMs. Kim VasilMr. and Mrs. Theodore M. VerSteegMr. and Mrs. J. Eric ViebrockMr. and Mrs. Paul J. Wagner, Jr.Mr. and Mrs. Fred WatkeMrs. Aileen W. WielandMr. William F. WielandMs. Ruth W. WoodlingMs. Jeannie B. Wright Z

coming in julynew book by carlos Museum faculty curator Dr. rebecca stone We eagerly await the publication of Dr. Stone’s new book, The Jaguar Within: Shamanic Trance in Ancient Central and South American Art, a pioneering study of the influence of shamanism on the artistic traditions of indigenous cultures in Central and South America before the European invasions of the sixteenth century. Using ethnographic accounts of shamanic trance experiences, Dr. Stone defines a core set of trance vision characteristics, including enhanced senses, ego dissolution, bodily distortions, flying, spinning, and undulating sensations, synaes-thesia, and physical transformation from the human self into animal and other states of being, and then traces these visionary characteristics in ancient artworks from Costa Rica and Peru.

This title, well-illustrated with many examples of ancient American art (including several objects from the Carlos Museum’s own collec-tions), will be available in July 2011 in hardcover only at $60 retail; Carlos Museum members will receive their membership discount. To pre-order this title, contact the bookshop manager at [email protected]. Z

coming soonupdated carlos Museum handbookOne of the most important re-sources that museums provide for their constituents is a published book of collection highlights. These handbooks are important tools for disseminating information about an institution’s collections and scholarship. The Carlos Museum’s last handbook was produced in 1996. The handbook is the most frequently requested resource at

the Carlos Museum. Just in the last five years alone, 2,500 works of art were acquired through gifts, dona-tions, and purchases. Thanks to the generosity of The Massey Charitable Trust and an anonymous donor, the Carlos Museum will soon publish an updated handbook, Highlights of the Collections. The new publication of selected works provides a much-needed educational resource, but also celebrates a century of collect-ing and a mission to preserve and share the stories of civilization.

Bookshop

to order books by phone call 404-727-2374, or visit our website at carlos.emory.edu/bookshop.

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Where every event is a work of art

Planning a business event or private dinner party? Hoping to find a unique location for a family reunion or celebration? The Michael C. Carlos Museum can be the solution to your entertainment needs. As a Museum member, you receive a substantial discount off the private rental rates while also receiving the benefit of our event planning assistance. Whether you are hosting an intimate dinner or a cocktail reception, the Museum provides an elegant and unique experience for your guests.

For complete information and to secure your event date, contact Jim Warren at: 404-727-0516, or email. [email protected]. Z

thank you

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non profit organizationu.s. postage paidatlanta, georgiapermit number 3604

571 south kilgo circleatlanta, ga 30322

carlos.emory.edu

comingup

september 10–December 11, 2011

Life and Death in the Pyramid Age: The Emory Old Kingdom Mummy

Level Three Galleries

Visitorinformation

Hours: Tuesday through Saturday: 10 am–4 pm; Sunday: Noon–4 pm; Closed Mondays and University holidays caffè antico: Monday–Saturday: 11 am–3 pm.

Admission: $8 donation. Emory students, faculty, and staff: Free. Students, seniors, and children ages 6–17: $6 (Children ages 5 and under free).

Public Transportation: marta bus line 6 Emory from Inman Park/Reynoldstown & Lindbergh stations or 36 North Decatur from Avondale and Arts Center stations.

Parking: Paid visitor parking in the visitor sections of the Fishburne and Peavine Parking Decks and in the new Oxford Road Parking Deck, located behind the new Barnes and Noble @ Emory, 1390 Oxford Road.

Handicapped Parking: Drop off for handicap visitors at Plaza Level entrance on South Kilgo Circle. Handicap-accessible parking is available in the Oxford Road and Peavine Decks. A handicap-accessible shuttle runs from the Peavine Deck, weekdays every 10 minutes.

Tours: Advanced booking required for weekday or weekend groups of 10 or more. For reservations call 404-727-0519 at least two weeks before your group would like to visit.

Public Tours: Begin in the Rotunda on Sundays at 2 pm, September through June.

Audio Tour: $2. Free for Museum members.

Museum Information: 404-727-4282.

Web Access: carlos.emory.edu

stayconnnected

Update and upload on Facebook, Flickr, Twitter, and more! Stay connected with the Carlos Museum through our Fanpage with event reminders, specials, notes from curators, and exhibition infor-mation. Subscribe to our Carlos Museum calendar and enjoy lectures, the Carlos Reads series, AntiquiTEA evenings, family events, and much, much more. Visit www.carlos.emory.edu/connect