To Have and To Hold:
African Containers
African containers of all shapes and sizes are on exhibit in
To Have and To Hold: African Containers, at the Mathers Museum
of World Cultures. Almost 60 different types of containers from
throughout Africa are exhibited, including bowls,
bags, baskets, bottles, and buckets.
"What makes these objects beautiful is the patina of use," says Ellen
Sieber, Curator of Collections at the Mathers Museum. Sieber has compiled
ethnographic references for the exhibit explaining the cultural,
economic, and functional uses of the containers, which vary from honey
pots to communal drinking bowls. The exhibit also explores origins of the
artifacts, as well as the different natural materials used in creating the
containers, such as clay or gourds.
To Have and To Hold: African Containers will be on exhibit at the
Mathers Museum through December 21, 2007.
The Mathers Museum of World Cultures is located at 416 North Indiana
Avenue, Bloomington. Its exhibit hall and Museum Store are open Tuesdays
through Fridays, from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; and Saturdays and Sundays, from
1 to 4:30 p.m. Admission to the Museum is free.
Metered and IU Permit parking is available at the McCalla School
parking lot on the corner of Ninth Street and Indiana Avenue. Parking is available
on surrounding streets during the weekend.
An access ramp is located at the corner of Ninth Street and Fess Avenue,
at the entrance to the Glenn Black Laboratory of Archaeology adjoining the
Mathers Museum. Reserved parking spaces are available on Ninth Street,
between Fess Avenue and Indiana Avenue. If you have a disability and need
assistance, special arrangements can be made to accommodate most needs.
For more information, or to schedule a guided group tour, please call
812-855-6873 or e-mail mathers@indiana.edu.
