As the controversy over donation of
Benin ancient artefacts to Museum of Fine Art (MFA), Boston still rages on, a collection of
Congolese pieces have been received by Fowler Museum at UCLA in Los Angeles, U.S.
The collection estimated to worth $14 million dollars and donated to the Fowler Museum museum by a couple,
Jay and Deborah Last marked the museum’s
50th anniversary.
Comprising 92 works, including
wooden and ivory figures, as well as masks, tools, and spoons, the artefacts are provenance as
created by the Lega people of the Democratic Republic of Congo. But the collection, is not likely to raise issue as the Benin donation to MFA did, so suggests lack of details in the provenance. In fact, Fowler Museum, quite curious, shields the source history of Lasts' acquisition of the artedacts.
The Lasts-donation, Fowler museum discloses, makes the last part of the 318 pieces promised
to the museum by the collectors. “Jay and Deborah Last have generously donated more
than 660 works of art to the Fowler Museum since 1973", the museum says.
The collection, according to Fowler Museum continues a 12 year-old exhibition titled Art of the Lega: Meaning and Metaphor in Central Africa soon at the Musée du quai Branly in Paris, France. The exhibition had opened at the Fowler in 2001 and traveled to several venues.
The collection, according to Fowler Museum continues a 12 year-old exhibition titled Art of the Lega: Meaning and Metaphor in Central Africa soon at the Musée du quai Branly in Paris, France. The exhibition had opened at the Fowler in 2001 and traveled to several venues.
From UCLA
Newsroom:
"I
was fascinated by the concept of the Lega society, one without hereditary or
elected rulers, unified by a semisecret group, the Bwami Society, whose members
rose in prestige and increasing influence as they practiced a highly moral
standard of social behavior." Last said. "The emphasis was on harmony
in social relationships, circumspection, filial piety, group spirit, obedience,
self-discipline and tenacity of purpose. This linking of art with moral
culture, the use of art objects to serve as a teaching and inspirational device
during Lega ceremonies, added a great deal of meaning to my collection."
Jay and Deborah Last
Jay
T. Last, who trained as a physicist and earned a Ph.D. from the Massachusetts
Institute of Technology, is one of the eight original founders (known as the
"fathers of Silicon Valley") of the Fairchild Semiconductor Corp. and
led the group that made the first integrated circuit chip. He has written books
on American graphic arts and is a founder of the Archaeological Conservancy.
Deborah Last has a bachelor's degree in art history from UCLA and a master's in
print journalism from the University of Southern California.
No comments:
Post a Comment